To kill or not to kill
by caffeineaddict90
Summary: Edward is a drug-lord and also a very highly-placed mafia member that controls the drug-trade in a very large city. He has to kill bella for witnessing a murder he committed. But she's not at all what he expected
1. Chapter 1

A/N: hey people! i'm backkkkk!:) Here's my new story which got 61% of the votes. I wrote this chap 3 days ago but then my net got disconnected and I had to wait sooo long to put it up.I will be updating once every 2 days at the latest, unlike my previous 2 stories, as I don't want my writing to be affected by time constrains. hope u all enjoy this one:)

Plus, I made Edward's eyes grey to make him look a little colder.

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_Chapter 1:_

Third person POV:

It was 9:30 pm, June 30th. The day was hot and dry despite the sun having said it's goodbyes for the day. Bella Swan carried two large grocery bags from her stuffy car, careful not to lose her precarious balance. She walked along the asphalt driveway to the large, red-brick house, trying to escape the heat and relax in the cool, air-conditioned rooms of the beautiful establishment. The well-manicured gardens glittered with water droplets from the sprinklers, and the white lights around them made the greenery all the more appealing. There was a black Mercedes in the driveway which Bella had never seen before, but she ignored it, thinking that it might be one of Mr. Cooper's friends.

When she reached the front door, she put the bags down on the mat and took out her key, but as she fit it into the lock, the door handle twisted under her hand. That was surprising since the Coopers never left their door unlocked, especially when they weren't expecting Bella to come, and this was a surprise visit.

The Coopers had a 10-year-old son who Bella babysat regularly. Little Simon was home alone alot since his father decided to run for state senator, and his parents had to attend benefits, campaigns and what not. Bella met Simon when she was coming home from University one day, and saw him standing alone outside the junior school's soccer pitch in the rain. The driver his parents had sent for him was new to the area and couldn't get there in time, so Bella gave him a ride home. She discovered what a sweet little boy he was; full of hopes and ideas that could only make sense in the innocent mind of a child. She met his parents the same day, who were worried sick and looking everywhere for their son. They were extremely grateful to Bella and soon after, offered her a part-time job as babysitter. She was mature enough for taking care of their son, and also had a lively personality which made her a fun person to hang out with for a kid.

Bella picked up her grocery bags and walked into the empty, dark hallway, making her way towards the living room. She left the grocery bags on the console next to the living room door as she entered the room where she had spent countless hours with the warm-hearted family. The door opened soundlessly to reveal a sight that would be provide substance for Bella's nightmares for years to come. Lying on the floor, their eyes glassy and lifeless, were Mr. and Mrs. Cooper. Blood was pooling around their head and torso, as a man with bronze-coloured hair and cold, grey eyes pointed a gun at them.

His compassionless gaze shifted to Bella and his hand swung around to point the black, killing machine at Bella's head. She, however, was beyond caring about the fact that her life may end in a few short minutes. Her eyes were now glued to the boy she had spent so much time taking care of, as tears ran down his face and every inch of his body shook like leaves in the wind. Before Bella had time to process what she was doing, she stepped over the bloody bodies to stand in front of Simon.

She looked around the room once, taking everything in. There were two more people beside the grey-eyed killer. One was a beefy, brown-haired, monster of a man who looked like he could crush her skull with one hand, while the other was a tall, albeit less-defined man with blonde curls and a seeming penchant for staring people down. The former had two AK-47's slung over each shoulder while he held another in his hand. The latter had a small gun with a silencer attached to the front.

Bella stared at the third man as she shielded Simon's body with hers, and said, "You've already killed two extremely good people, and you deserve to rot in hell for that. But I swear to God, if you even touch this child, I'll kill you myself, gun or no gun."

The man, stared at her in shock for a split second before he composed himself. Then he started laughing at the girl's bravado.

"Are you threatening me?" he said, giving her a condescending look. "Do you actually think that you can take me on? You, a mere 110 pound, not to mention weaponless, _girl!_"

Bella's chin jerked up in defiance, as she backed away from the armed men, subtly pushing Simon towards the door. She knew she had to get him out before the killers got to him, so she had to keep them distracted.

"You know what, Mr-I've-got-an-ego-so-big-my-head-won't-fit-through-the-door, I bet I could beat you at hand-to-hand combat any day. So leave your big guns behind, and face me like a man, not a coward." Bella was now in front of the door, and as soon as the gunman looked away she pushed Simon through the open door and yelled 'Run!'

When the three men realized what had happened, the leader yelled at them to follow the kid. Bella was still in front of the door, however, and before they could run after Simon, she kneed the blonde in the groin and elbowed the other one in the nose. The blonde one fell down to the ground in pain while Mr. Muscles clutched his bleeding nose.

"You really shouldn't have done that," Bella heard the grey-eyed man's voice say. After that she didn't remember what happened, as something hard and metallic hit her at the back of the head, causing her vision to blacken.

_Ten minutes later:_

"We lost him, sir," Jasper Whitlock said, limping towards his boss and brushing his blonde hair away from his eyes. "We went on for blocks but we didn't find him."

The boss, Edward Cullen, more commonly known as "The Drug King," was kneeling down, checking the girl's pulse. It was steady.

"You wanna wrap up here and go home, boss?" Emmet 'Pooch' McCarty, whose nose had finally stopped bleeding, asked. "The cops will be here soon."

Cullen nodded. He could already hear the sirens, and motioned to Pooch to pick the girl up. Pooch looked back at him in astonishment. "Don't you wanna just kill her now, boss?"

"No, Pooch," Cullen said. "We don't have time. Take her to the car, and hurry up. I don't wanna spend the rest of this shitty night in a jail cell."

Pooch knew better than to disobey the boss's orders, and picked the girl up easily and tossed her over his shoulder like a sack of potatoes. They all got in the mercedes and sped off before the cops saw them.

"That was close. Next time, J, please make sure we don't have any visitors while we're killing someone," Cullen said to Jasper in a deceptively polite tone. Jasper, however, was not fooled by his boss's outward calm. He had been working for Cullen for over six years, and knew that his boss was extremely pissed off. If he didn't apologize now, he wouldn't live to see the sun rise.

"Sorry, sir," J said. "It won't happen again." He didn't know why Cullen was so mad; they had killed the Senator. Sure, the boy got away, but what could he do? A kid couldn't remember the faces of the people in such a horrifying situation. And the police couldn't punish someone they couldn't catch. The mafia didn't do things halfway. He had a feeling that the girl was the key. Why didn't Cullen just kill her and get it over with? For the first time since Jasper started working for Edward Cullen, he felt doubtful. Some people had suggested that the mafia's number one guy was a little too good at his job. Insanely good. Had he finally snapped?

_FBI Headquarters, Interrogation room:_

Simon sat in the plastic chair, opposite a woman in a black suit and a lavender shirt. She had told him her name was Anna Summers, and she was with the cops who wanted to catch the bad guys who had killed his parents.

"I want Bella," Simon sniffed.

"Whose Bella, Simon?" the nice lady asked in a soothing voice.

"My babysitter. She saved me from those bad people," he said, rubbing his eyes with the back of his hand. "She told me to run and I thought she'd come after me but she didn't. Did the bad people hurt her too?"

Miss. Summers looked a bit startled, and said, "Well, I'm sure they didn't hurt her because she wasn't at your house when we got there. Can you tell me her full name, Simon?"

Simon tapped his cheek with his finger, thinking. "Oh, I remember! Her full name's Isabella Swan."

The colour drained out of Summers face. Her colour grew ashen as her eyes bugged out of her head. "Are you sure?" she asked him again.

"Yes," he said, looking worriedly at the detective. "Are you okay Miss. Summers?"

"I'm fine, dear," she said, giving him a weak smile. "Just give me a minute." She left the room, and took out her cell phone.

"Get me Chief Swan," she said in a hollow voice. "We have a situation."

A/N: I know it's a bit short, but the others will be longer.

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	2. Chapter 2

A/N: sorry for the late update people! here's the next chapter!

Reviewwwwwww!:)

_Chapter 2:_

BPOV:

I struggled to open my eyes. Hell, I even struggled to remember what had happened to lead me to my current state, but nothing registered. My head was throbbing and my eyelids seemed to be made of lead. I groaned and rolled onto my side.

"Glad to see you awake, sleeping beauty," someone called from the other side of the room. My eyes flew open as last night's events rushed back. The Coopers...Simon...the guys with the guns. I tried pushing myself off the couch I was on, only to see my hands and feet tied together with duct tape.

"What's this?" I raised my hands towards the scary, dark-haired man who was trying to hold back a laugh at my helplessness.

"The boss didn't want you to escape, so he told me to stay here and be your babysitter. I'm Emmet by the way," he said, purposely extending his hand to shake mine. I gave him a sour look and he burst out laughing. "Guess you're a bit 'tied-up' at the moment."

At any other time, I would have found this guy funny, but right now, I was ready to spit fire at him. I looked around the rest of the room, trying to ignore him. It was a small living-room, with a couch, two armchairs, and a large flatscreen. There was a kitchenette in the corner that had half a dozen empty pizza boxes in it, and a door which I assumed would be my only chance of getting out of this place.

"You're not much of a talker, are you?" Emmet asked.

"I only talk to people who are worth my time," I said, giving him my best condescending look. "Clearly, you don't belong in that category."

He seemed offended. Good.

"Listen here, princess," he sneered, walking up to me. "You don't know who you're dealing with here, and just in case you don't remember what happened to your friends last nigh, let me remind you." He took out his gun and pointed it at me. "You have no idea how easy it is to pull a trigger."

"Emmet!" someone shouted from the entrance. It was the blonde guy from last night. He rushed in and took the gun from Emmet's hand. "Put that effin gun down! Do you have any idea what Edward is going to do to you if you kill her?"

"Yes, Emmet, do you have any idea what I'll do to you if you directly disobey my orders? Good thing Jasper is here to remind you" the bronze-haired guy, who I now knew was named Edward, entered the house. Judging by Jaspers surprised look, it was an unexpected visit, and judging by Emmet's expression, he was scared out of his wits.

Edward's gaze zeroed in on me, and all I could read on his face was indifference. I could see his face properly now in the sunlight- it had been too dark yesterday to tell properly. What I saw shocked me. He was quite handsome despite his facial expression, with a strong jaw and high cheekbones. His hair was reddish-brown, his skin pale and his cold eyes a flat grey. He was wearing tailored black slacks, a white shirt and a black dinner jacket.

"Sorry, boss," Emmet said. "I was just reminding her about a few things."

Edward's fist shout out and connected with Emmet's cheek. "Do as I say, and nothing more Emmet. I don't care if you're about to marry my sister, don't forget that you're still my employee. Got it?"

Emmet wiped the blood off of his face and nodded. _Who punches and talks to their brother-in-law like that,_ I thought to myself.

"Good," Edward said, brushing off imaginary dirt from his sleeve. "Now both of you, leave. There are some things I need to discuss with our guest before we leave. Stay in the car. We'll be going in a few minutes."

"Hey, where are you taking me?" I asked.

"That's none of your concern," Edward said as the other two guys walked out. "What I need from you now, is the answer to two simple questions. Starting with your name."

"You don't need to know my name," I scowled.

His eyes were practically drilling a hole in my head with the intensity of his gaze. "Either you can tell me easily, or I can drag it out of you using torture methods that haven't been used since the 12th century, sweetheart."

I rolled my eyes at him, but decided that having him know my name wouldn't be a crime. Not if I gave him a false one anyway. "It's Sienna Foster," I said, making one up on the spot.

"Well, then Sienna," he said, grabbing my arm and leading me to the door. "Where are you from?"

I decided to go with the truth on this one. It would be hard if he started interrogating me about the place I claimed to belong to. "I grew up right here in the big apple."

"Wonderful," he said, and shoved me into the passenger seat of the black Mercedes. "You don't have to be so rude, you know," I grumbled. Jasper and Emmet were in the backseat. We drove off, well above the speed-limit for about ten minutes, until we stopped at a private airstrip. Edward pulled me out of the car and dragged me to a small jet. I struggled against his iron-grip but he was too strong.

"Stop!" I shouted at him, hoping that my screaming would cause someone to come and help me out of this mess. "Let go of me! I don't want to leave!"

"Just shut up and keep walking, Sienna," Edward growled at me. The nerve of that man!

"Where are you taking me? And what right do you have to tell me what to do?" I was shouting so loud now that someone was bound to hear me.

"If you're trying to call for help, it's no good. I own this airstrip, and the people who work here know to ignore crazy people like you," he said, catching on to my plan.

"Oh! So you're the one going around and killing innocent people and I'm the crazy one?"

He gave an exasperated sigh, and said to himself, "This is too much work." He then reached out and pressed down on the carotid artery in my neck. I felt everything go black once again.

* * *

This was getting old fast. It was the second time I had been knocked out, and the second time I was waking up with no idea about where I was. I was on a bed this time instead of a couch, and my hands and feet were thankfully unbound. My relief over this fact disappeared quickly however, when I saw who had just entered my room. It was Edward, and he looked murderously angry.

"Why did you lie to me about your name?" he said, his voice deceptively smooth.

I hated to admit it, but this was the first time I was actually frightened of him. "I don't know what you're talking about," I said evenly, taking a step back.

"Stop playing games with me, Isabella," he said, taking a menacing step towards me. "I know your name is Isabella Swan, not Sienna Foster, and that your father just happens to be the Chief of the freaking FBI!"

Crap! He knew about Charlie! "How'd you find out?"

"You were on the news, and so was your father, asking for his precious daughter back," he scowled.

I snorted at that, causing Edward's eyes to narrow. "Yeah, sure! I bet my dad was all tears and shameless pleading, right?"

"Whatever. Just remember one thing, Isabella. I don't tolerate lies and if you want to continue living, be truthful the next time round."

Before I had a chance to say anything, he stormed out of the room, slamming the door shut. Why a person who had no qualms about killing people followed the 'honesty is the best policy' rule was beyond me. In fact, I bet he was a hypocrite! I bet he had to lie a million times considering his profession. I guess 'Do as I say, not as I do' was his personal motto.

I stared at the door, unable to move due to my shock. All I knew was one thing, I had to get away from these people, and fast. This wouldn't be the first time that Charlie's rank in the FBI would cause our family trouble. If Edward is going to do what I think he's going to do, then I didn't have much time.

* * *

A/N: sorry it's short! next one will be longer, I promise! I'm sooo sleepy right now!

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	3. Chapter 3

A/N: Thank you all so much for the amazing reviews! you guys are so awesome! if u hav any ideas about the story, PM me...coz this one's a little harder to write than the previous ones.

Here's the next chap! enjoy and review!

_Chapter 3:_

BPOV:

As soon as Edward left, I started looking for a way out. The window seemed like a good idea until I opened it and saw I was on the third floor. The fact that there were several heavily-armed men on the ground didn't encourage me either. It was when the chilly air hit my face that I realized I wasn't in New York anymore. I looked outside, trying to figure out where I was- it was a very unsettling feeling, not knowing where I had spent the last, God knows how many hours. I ignored the pull of my curiosity and got to work on finding another escape route. The bathroom window was too small for me to fit through, the front door was locked and the vents were in the high ceiling. I flopped down on the bed and rubbed my temples, trying to remember what my dad had told me to do if I ever got in a situation like this.

_Try to get as much information out of the people who've got you. Ask them where you are, and most of all, don't lose focus. Look around you, 'get the lay of the land,' so to speak. When you're sure they're bot looking, try to get help. Contact me or anyone else in the forces and tell them all you can about your location- the type of building you're in, the landscape around the house and even the colour of the soil. Anything helps. _

I documented everything I had noticed since I came here in my head: coniferous vegetation, chilly air, rich brown soil, sandstone brick house and wooden paneling on inner walls. Of course, there was no phone or computer in the room, so I couldn't call or email anyone. I was brought out of my thoughts when I heard the door unlock, and saw a petite girl with spiky black hair come in with a tray filled with food. She had a huge grin on her pretty face and walked up to me gracefully, putting the tray down on the bed and pulling me into a hug.

"Hello, Bella! I'm Alice Cullen! You don't mind if I call you Bella right?"

"Nice to meet you Alice," I choked out. "And no, I don't mind at all. Now would _you _mind not squeezing the life of out of me. I never really planned on being hugged to death."

She drew back and gave me an apologetic smile. "Sorry, I tend to get ahead of myself sometimes."

I laughed and said, "It's okay. I can be like that, too. So, I guess you're, rather unfortunately in my opinion, related to Edward?"

"Yes," she giggled. "I'm his younger sister."

As much as I wanted to hate Alice, I couldn't. Sure, her brother had kidnapped me but I got the feeling she had nothing to do with his world. She seemed like the exact opposite of Edward, and had me feeling at ease instantly.

She sat down next to me, and handed me a plate piled with chocolate croissants, waffles, and pancakes. I thanked her and dug in, ravenous from not eating for so long. Alice munched on a croissant as well, so I was sure the food wasn't poisoned.

"I've got some clothes for you as well. I'll get them from my room when you're done eating," she said absently.

I swallowed my last bite and asked, "Alice, where are we?"

She looked at me apprehensively, chewing on her lip. "I'm not sure if I'm supposed to tell you that."

"Oh, for God's sake Alice!" I exclaimed. "What harm would it do if I knew what frickin' country I'm staying in?"

"All right! We're in Zurich, Switzerland!"

My eyes bugged out of my head as I stared at her. "I'm in Switzerland? Are you kidding me?" Secretly, I was extremely glad I was here. I knew people in Zurich that I knew would help me out if I could contact them. The irony of the fact that my summer vacation spot had turned into my prison was not lost on me, but no one needed to know that.

Alice looked at me with pity, and said, "We would have stayed in New York, but your father was having every inch of the city searched, so we had to get out. Rosalie's and Emmet's wedding is supposed to be in three weeks, but now that we're here, who knows how long we'll have to stay. Rose is so pissed off at Edward right now, she's just about ready to snap him into pieces."

I half smiled. "I wouldn't mind helping her do that."

"You know, Edward isn't all bad. I know he may seem like that right now, but he's actually a really cool guy."

I snorted. "Tell that to the kid whose parents he just killed."

Alice frowned. "I bet he had a reason for that."

"Oh yeah, sure. I bet he had a reason for trying to kill Simon, too. And he would have if I hadn't gotten the poor kid out of the room."

"What proof do you have that he was going to kill the kid?" she asked, looking disturbed now.

"He sent Jasper and Emmet after him when he ran," I said matter-of-factly. "Your brother's not a saint, Alice. And we all don't eat rainbows and poop butterflies."

"You got that from 'Horton hears a who'," she accused. I laughed and nodded.

"I'm gonna go get your clothes," she said distractedly and left the room. She came back a few minuted later with at least half a dozen shopping bags, all with designer names on them. She dumped them all on the bed and took out a pair of Dsquared jeans with a black Dolce and Gabbana blouse.

She pointed to the bathroom and handed me the outfit. "Get showered and changed. There's a towel and toothbrush inside, and if you need anything else, just give me a shout out. I'm waiting right here."

I thanked her and went to the beautiful bathroom with black marble tiles and a tub that was three times the size of my bathtub back home. Once I was done with my relaxing hot shower, I brushed my teeth, put on my clothes and went outside.

"Ooh! You look so gorgeous Bella!" Alice said, handing me a pair of black jewelled ballet flats. I slipped those on and asked her what we were supposed to do now.

"I'm not really sure," she grimaced. "Let me ask Edward if I can show you around the chateau."

"Ask him if you're allowed to breathe while you're at it Alice," I called after her, sarcastically.

"Sure, Bella," she retorted in pleasant voice. I sighed and waited for her to come back. When she had left last time, I saw a guard outside my door that locked it as soon as she left, so my chances of escaping from this room were nil to none.

It took Alice a while to come back, so I blow dried my hair out of boredom. I guessed that all the female stuff was here courtesy of Alice. Hell! I didn't even know who these people were! Alice walked through the door again, pouting and frowning.

"My brother is the most insufferable person known to man!" she exclaimed.

"What did he say?"

"He said that you have to stay in this room."

I was fuming. I think if you'd look close enough you'd actually be able to see the smoke spouting out of my ears. "Tell him to come up here. I want to talk to him myself and find out what the hell he plans on doing with me," I said through my teeth. Alice seemed a little shocked by my violent tone and nodded. She opened the door and asked the guard to get Edward. When he objected, saying that Edward had told him not to take one step away from this door, Alice said in an ice-cold tone that would have made her brother proud, "It's my name outside the house, Randall. Therefore, you will follow my orders as well. Now go get your boss or so help me, I will kill you myself."

She turned back to me as she closed the door and said cheerfully, "A few empty threats don't do any harm."

I laughed at that and we waited for Edward to come, chatting about little things like our hobbies and likes and dislikes. I found out that she was of Italian descent, and her father and mother were both dead. She didn't tell me how they died and I didn't ask her, for fear of bringing up bad memories.

Edward walked in when we were laughing about how Alice got drunk and got her first tattoo. Our giggles died down when we saw Edward's shocked face, however, and both of us got up.

"Alice, can you please give us a moment," Edward said in that same 'calm before the storm' tone. "Wait for me in the living room. I'll be right down."

Alice looked at me hesitantly, and left after I gave her a reassuring nod and smile.

I wiped the smile off my face as I tried to stare him down. He could hold his own, of course. "I don't appreciate the fact that I'm locked up in this room, Cullen," I said venomously.

He gave a bitter smile and replied, "You don't have to appreciate anything. In case you didn't know, you're a hostage here. The only reason you're staying here is so that I can keep an eye on you, and Alice insisted that you sleep on a bed and not the floor."

"Why do you want to keep me as a hostage?" I asked, knowing the answer already but dreading his saying it all the same.

"Would you rather I killed you?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.

"Depends on why you're keeping me as a hostage, you moron!" I said. I knew it wasn't wise to antagonize him, but something about him just made me want to punch him. It might have something to do with the fact that he killed two very nice people without any obvious provocation.

He was seething with anger, and pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration. "Your father is the head of the FBI, Swan. He can make us or break us, depending on what we tell him to do, and you are going to help us." A devilish smile lit up his face, causing me to grimace.

"There's no way in hell I'm helping you do _anything_!" I spat.

"Then you leave me no choice," he said, taking his gun out of a holster under his jacket and pointing it at me.

I looked at the gun and then back at him, walking towards him so I was within inches of the gun. "Go ahead and do it, Cullen. I'm not afraid of you or your killing machines."

He took a step back, shocked by my reaction. In his experience, I bet, at least 99% of the people he killed were in tears by now, begging for him not to end their life. The remaining 1% were people like me and the Coopers; either not afraid of death, or more afraid for their loved ones lives than for their own. The latter group only begged for others lives, not their own, and I bet that was how Mr and Mrs Cooper died. They were always very protective of their only son.

"How can you not be afraid of death?" he whispered so low I barely heard him.

"When your mom commits suicide when you're barely a teenager, and your father's so busy in his job he doesn't even care if you're alive, you have no reason to live," I said honestly.

He stared at me in astonishment for a good few minutes, trying to unravel the workings of my convoluted mind. Inch by inch, he lowered his gun, strapping it back into his holster after putting the safety on.

"If you're not afraid of death, then what fears do you have?" he asked curiously.

I snorted. "Whatever fears I do have, Cullen, I won't be telling them to you. But let's just say, my life's been alot better since I stopped being scared."

He nodded absently, sitting down on the loveseat opposite the bed. I had a feeling that I was witnessing a rare moment in history; Edward Cullen's calm was shaken.

"Now what I wanna know, is who you people are," I said in a no-nonsense voice. "I think I deserve that much."

It took him a moment to answer. "We're part of an organized-crime ring known more commonly as the Mafia."

I actually burst out laughing at his formal way of putting it. He looked at me, shocked once again, and then he got angry. Again.

"Do you think this is a joke, Swan?" he fumed.

"No, no. of course not," I replied, unable to stop my giggles from bursting forth.

He narrowed his eyes and walked up to where I was leaning against the wall. "Do you think what I do isn't serious work? I've killed 862 people in the last two years alone. Don't think I'll hesitate before killing you."

Despite the fact that I was scared of him (he had killed 862 people in just two years!) I still couldn't stop the reply that came out of my mouth. "You already did. I'm still alive, aren't I?"

He was so close I could smell his perfume, but before my brain had time to register anything else, he was already out of the room, a furious expression on his face.

I fell onto the floor in a heap, my legs giving away as my adrenaline ran out. I couldn't believe I had just provoked him like that. What kind of an idiot irritates a member of the mafia? I shook my head, trying to clear it. Even if he didn't kill me now, he could later and therefore, I had to get my ass out of here pronto. And for that, I would need Alice's help.

A/N: Any thoughts? Ideas? Reviewww!


	4. Chapter 4

A/N: Thank you all for those amazing reviews...they made me smile even though I had such a bad headache! you guys are the best! so here's the next chap...enjoy and reviewww!

_Chapter 4:_

BPOV:

It's been three days. Three days since I first entered this room and have not been let out since. Edward Cullen hadn't dared to show his face to me, or decided not to grace me with his entertaining presence. Please note my sarcasm here, folks. Alice came in everyday with more food than I could eat, trying cheer me up. She really was a wonderful person and it amazed me that her brother was a member of the mafia. If I had met her under any other circumstances, I would have sworn that she came from a very respectable family that had nothing to do with drugs, murder or organized crime.

After my talk with Edward a few days ago, Alice had been tight-lipped regarding her family and their business dealings. My guess was that Edward told her not to open up to me in case I got away. Which, right now, seemed completely impossible. It was astounding how much security they had in the house. I asked Alice about it once, but she gave a vague answer about how more success meant more enemies. I didn't push it.

Alice had gone shopping to get me even more clothes, so now my closet was filled with more Chanel, Gucci and Prada than I had ever owned before. And that was saying something. Alice was in my room showing me all the new things she got from a sample sale.

"And see this one, Bella, it's a Hermes silk scarf...I bet it would look wonderful in Rosalie's hair. I'll bring her over today to meet you," she said.

"Oh! I'd love to meet her. Did you guys figure out anything about the wedding?"

"Yeah. We just decided to have it here. All the guests have been notified about the change in venue, and most of them have RSVP'd."

"That's good. So Rosalie's getting married, and Edward is set on killing half the human population before he's forty, so what about you? Any career plans? Any boyfriends?" I asked, smiling at her cheekily, and to my surprise, she blushed.

"I don't have a boyfriend," she said.

"Alice! Stop lying to me. Now come on, tell me. Who is it?" She shook her head at me and denied it once again. After a lot of persuasion, she finally caved.

"Okay! I'll tell you! But you have to promise not to tell Edward because he would get really mad if he found out I was going behind his back," she said, nervously.

"Okay. I promise. Now go on! Spill!"

"Well, Jasper and I have been seeing eachother for about 4 months now, and oh, Bella! He's perfect!"

My definition of the perfect man didn't include a criminal record, but obviously I didn't say that to Alice. "That's wonderful Alice! But why can't you tell Edward? Rosalie and Emmet seem to have fared well against him since they're getting married now."

"Well, uhm, you see Rosalie isn't exactly our biological sister," she said, wringing her hands. "So she didn't really get any inheritance from our parents. She had a trust fund, however, so she's good for now. I, on the other hand, am not adopted and I'll get my inheritance on my 21st birthday, which is just a few months away. Edward wasn't happy with Rosalie's and Emmet's relationship either, but there was nothing he could do to keep them apart. When you meet Rosalie, you'll understand what I mean. She can hold her own against anyone."

I nodded sympathetically as she continued. "Since Edward's the oldest out of all of us, he controls the finances. He said that he doesn't want me to marry a criminal like Rosalie. He's being a hypocrite, I know, but he only has my best interests at heart. He hasn't said it in so many words, but he has implied that if I get married to someone he doesn't approve of, I shouldn't expect him to be at my wedding. Jasper and I aren't that serious yet, and it's a miracle we've been able to keep this a secret from Edward for so long. We only meet up when Edward's either not home or out of the country, and only for brief periods of time at a private place. I'm Edward's sister, so atleast I have the assurance that he won't kill me, but that's not the case with Jasper."

"Do you love him, Alice?" I asked seriously.

She blushed again, a deeper red than before. "I think I do, but I'm not so sure about him. He doesn't want to lose his job or his life. If it comes to it, I will break it off to save him. I care for him enough to do that."

I had tears in my eyes now, a product of sympathy for Alice's situation and rage at her brother's controlling ways. "If you love him as much as I think you do, tell him, Alice. He deserves to know."

"Do you think I should do that?" she asked, her eyes wide.

"Yes, I do. You love him, and if he's willing to risk his life by being with you, I bet he loves you too," I said, smiling at her.

She started jumping up and down in excitement. I laughed at her enthusiasm and started putting all her shopping back in the bags so she could take them to her room. As I was putting the Christian Louboutin's back in their box, Alice flopped down next to me and asked, "I told you my story Bella, but what about you?"

Now it was my turn to blush. "I was dating someone a while ago, but we broke up. The good thing is I didn't lose him as a friend. He's more of the brotherly type, you know?"

"Oh! Yeah, I get that. What was his name?"

"Jacob. He works with my dad. He's the youngest person in the entire bureau to achieve the detective post," I said proudly. Alice's face however, was completely ashen.

"What's his full name?" she asked, her voice low.

"Jacob Black. Why?"

"Because he's the agent on Edward's case. Oh crap! Bella, whatever you do, don't let Edward know about your friendship with him. He just might change his mind about not killing you."

"He's not going to kill me?" I asked, surprised.

"Trust me, B, if he wanted you dead, we would be having this conversation with 6 feet of vertical distance between us," she said, giving me a small smile.

"Well, uhm, what does he want then?"

"To tell you the truth, I don't think he's figured that out yet. Maybe he'll ask for a ransom from your dad. Sometimes, my brother can be very hard to read."

"My dad would never pay the ransom, Alice. He has some very firm rules about that. He never gives in to criminals."

"Bella, he has to. I don't know what Edward would do if he doesn't. Is it weird that I can't predict what my own brother is going to do?" she asked, her eyes sad.

"Awww Alice! It's okay. It happens," I said, hugging her. "Brothers can be...difficult at times. Don't be sad Alice, I can't bear to see you like this."

She wiped a tear away and gave me a watery smile. "Thanks, Bella. I'm gonna go talk to Jasper." As she was getting up to go however, there was three sharp knocks on the door.

"Come in," I called out, hoping that no-one had heard my conversation with Alice. Edward walked in the door, a stony expression on his face.

"Alice, I need a word with Isabella," he said.

"Well hello to you, too," I mumbled. Alice gave me a tight hug and left. Edward waited for the door to close and then turned to face me.

"Here's what we're going to do, Swan. You are going to sit in front of a camera and state my demands to your father in exchange for your life."

I stared at him in astonishment. "There is no effing way I'm doing that! And just so you know, my father will never cave in to your demands."

Edward's expression grew furious. "This is not a choice, Swan. You either do it, or you die."

"Fine, then kill me," I challenged him. "Because I know for a fact that the Chief will not give you what you want. My life's not that precious to him." I couldn't help the bitterness that leaked into my voice at the end.

"You think your father doesn't care about you?" he said, coldly. "The sacrifices that a parent makes for their child seem inconsequential to you, don't they?"

"The only thing my father ever gave up was his family for his career. Getting ahead was more important to him than the fact that his wife was so depressed that she was seeing a shrink everyday for six months," I said, wondering why all our conversations ended up like this. "And you have no right to judge me. You _don't _know me."

"So you blame your father for your mother's death? How infantile!"

"Screw you, Edward Cullen. Now I won't do what you're telling me to do, so either you kill me or you let me go back to my University, and complete the rest of my studies in peace."

"As I told you before, I'm not asking you, I'm telling you. Get up and come with me. You will make that video," he said, grabbing me roughly by the arm and dragging me out of the room. My protests fell on deaf ears as I tried to make sense of my surroundings. We went through a winding hallway and down three flights of stairs to a basement. There was a video camera on a tripod and Emmet was standing behind it setting it up. There was a large white tarp covering the wall behind the stool on which I assumed I would sit. Edward gave me a paper and said, "Here's what you'll say."

I read through it and shook my head.

"You're not getting out of this room until you've said that, Isabella," he whispered in my ear. For some reason, despite the fact that he was holding my arm so tightly that I knew it would leave a bruise, his proximity caused my stomach to flutter. I told myself it was just fear, but I had given up on fear a long time back.

"Fine," I whispered, and he drew back, letting go of my arm as if it was a hot coal. I sat down on the stool and waited for Emmet to start the camera.

"You're on," he said. I took a deep breath and plastered a smile on my face.

"Hey, dad. I know you're worried about me but please don't be. I'm completely fine. I hope you're not too stressed out." Edward motioned at me to get on with it. I gave him a sour look and continued. "So the jackasses who have me want something from you in return for my freedom. They want five million dollars along with a free pass for drug and weapon trafficking. I know, they're as moronic as they sound, so do whatever you like dad. I miss our movie nights when we used to watch Beauty and the Beast. Goodbye dad."

"Finally," Edward sighed. "I thought you'd turn into a pile of mushy goo."

"Yeah, right. Get a life Edward. Maybe then you'd stop interfering in others." I got off the stool, and made my way towards the stairs leading to the door. Edward however, grabbed my arm again and led me back to my room, not saying a single word.

He came in with me and sat on the loveseat again. "Thank you for doing that," he said unexpectedly.

My mouth dropped open in shock. "Did you just thank me? For making a ransom video?"

He gave me a small, lopsided smile. I had to admit, he looked almost human when he did that. "Yes, as twisted as it may sound. You're not at all what I expected Isabella Swan. If we had met in another world, where I wasn't the leader of the mafia and you weren't the daughter of the head of the FBI, we might have been friends. Maybe we would have even dated."

"Please," I snorted. "I have better sense than to fall in love with someone as malignant as you."

He grinned, stood up and said, "Who said anything about falling in love? Ever heard of Stockholm Syndrome, my dear?" Then he left, leaving me more confused and irritated than I had ever been in my entire life.

* * *

_FBI headquarters, 24 hours later:_

Charlie Swan and Jacob Black were sitting in the Chief's office, discussing where Bella could be when a delivery boy came in a package. It was addressed to Charlie Swan.

"Whose it from?" Jacob asked.

"It doesn't say," Charlie said, tearing open the brown paper to reveal a mini-disk. He put it in his laptop and it started playing.

Jacob's hands curled into fists as he saw Bella's face. She looked like her usual, pink-cheeked self so he could see that she wasn't being mistreated physically, but the thought of her well-being at someone else's mercy caused his temper to flare. She deserved so much better. He almost laughed when she called her captors insulting names, although he was sure it wasn't wise. The impossible demands made by the criminals were incredible. There was no way the bureau would allow it. Did the people who had her know that? He was confused about the last thing she said though. From what he remembered, Bella and Charlie hadn't watched TV together since, well, ever.

Charlie's face was bone-white when Jacob turned to look at him. "What?" he asked.

"It's the mafia," he said. "I designed a code system for Bella when she was ten, and had her memorize it. It had specific names for every crime organization which could have been a threat. Beauty and the Beast was code for the mafia. Find out which known mafia members have left the country since Bella got kidnapped. Use the new facial recognition software in all the airports. I want these people caught now."

Jacob was extremely worried now. He knew what the mafia was capable of, and if he took too long in finding Bella, it would be too late.

* * *

A/N: Press that review button :)


	5. Chapter 5

A/N: Thank you all for those amazing reviews, everyone! For those of you who don't know how E and B can be together, don't worry. They will be...there'll be alot of secrets which will be revealed in time:)

I decided to update early coz of said reviews, and also cz inspiration struck

Hope y'all like this chapter. Review if you do:)

_Chapter 5:_

_1 week later_

BPOV:

My last meeting with Edward had left me shaken. What he said seemed a little too true. Alice hadn't been up to my room as often because she was spending some much needed time with Jasper. She couldn't even bring Rosalie to meet me because her and Emmet had decided to take a vacation together. Alice said that she would tell Jasper how much she loved him today, so I was waiting for her to come up and tell me how it went. I was flipping through channels on the flatscreen in my room, and ironically, 'Donnie Brasco' was on. I started watching it, comparing everything in the movie to what I had seen in my past 10 days here. Edward had definitely been less violent since the night at the Coopers, and he seemed nothing like the slick gangbangers in the movie. I was still drawing parallels between Al Pacino and Edward Cullen when the man in question came to my room.

He had that smooth, indecipherable expression on his face again. He didn't say hello, he just came forward and sat on the bed next to me.

I looked at him, waiting for him to begin the conversation. "I think common courtesy dictates that you begin by saying hello," I said. "Especially if you haven't talked to the person in a week."

"I apologize, Isabella," he said, still not looking at me. "I just had a bit of a mess to clean up."

The hair on the back of my neck stood up. "I'm guessing you weren't spring cleaning," I said, swallowing hard.

He gave a short laugh. "It's not what you think. No lives were lost. There might have been some guns but they were just to scare people off. Your little tip off to your father has every cop in the country hunting down mafia members and asking them where we are. We had to make sure that no-one would give us up. It's a good thing I've kept myself off the radar for quite some time. Even that over-achiever Black couldn't implicate me in any of the crimes."

My hands were shaking slightly now. I never thought he'd be able to figure that one out. "So if even Jacob couldn't keep you in prison, that makes me the only person who actually can," I said, smugly.

Edward's expression went from calm to furious in a split second and he grabbed my already bruised arm in a death-grip. "You know Black?"

Oh crap! I'd forgotten what Alice had told me. I tried to salvage the situation and said, "Everyone knows Jacob Black. He brought down one of the most corrupt politicians in the White House when he was barely 25. He's a popular guy in the bureau's circle."

He looked at me trying to tell if I was lying or not. He seemed satisfied and let go of my arm. I rubbed it, knowing that the previously fading bruise would now be purple again. He saw my grimace and he looked shocked. "I didn't hurt you, did I?"

"Dude, you clocked me at the back of the head at the Coopers', remember? I don't think a bruise would be that much of a big deal after that," I said, disbelief clear on my face.

His face, on the other hand, was horrified. He took my arm gently and pushed up my cashmere sweater sleeve, revealing the large bruise. "Isabella, I apologize. I didn't know I hurt you so badly. I'm so incredibly sorry. I never meant to do that."

I had never seen the caring side to Edward Cullen, and it confused me more than anything else. I thought he'd be mad about the message to Charlie thing, but instead here he was apologizing for a bruise. I suddenly felt a rush of unexplainable sympathy for him. My feelings weren't making any sense anymore, so I quite trying to figure them out. Why was I feeling sympathy for the person who had killed so many people, two of which I knew, and not to mention, he had kidnapped me? I shook my head, trying to clear it.

"It's okay, Edward. You didn't mean to," I said, pulling my sleeve back down and pulling back my hand. He had a smile on his face when I called him by his first name. "And you can call me Bella. Isabella makes me feel like some old saint."

"Of course," he said, and turned his eyes towards the TV. He frowned when he recognized the movie, and gave me a questioning look.

"I was trying to see the similarities between you and the mafia people in the movie. You're nothing like them. You don't even have the same accent," I explained.

"Not all people in the same profession have similar traits Bella. You should know that."

"True," I said, and continued watching the movie. Edward took out a cigarette and lit it. "There's a reason those things are called cancer-sticks, you know."

"You care if I get cancer?" he asked, jokingly.

"Not at all. Why don't you have some alcohol as well and kill you're liver while you're killing your heart and lungs. Make sure that they're not even fit for organ donation."

He laughed and said, "You read my mind." He got up and went to the armoire, opening a cupboard and taking out a crystal tumbler filled with the amber liquid. He took out two glasses as well and handed one to me.

"I don't drink," I lied, pushing back the glass.

"Liar," he accused. "You just don't want to be inebriated while you're kidnapped so you're alert. Good decision on your part. Your father trained you well."

"Thank you," I said simply, as I watched him drink and smoke himself to death. I didn't ask what he was still doing in my room, because as weird as it may sound, I didn't want him to leave. _I'm just missing Alice, that's all, _I thought to myself, _I'm craving human company after being cooped up in this room all week._

We sat like that for two more hours as 'Donnie Brasco' finished and 'Fast and the Furious' came on. I got super excited when I saw the movie's name and Edward was once again surprised.

"Do you like action movies?" he asked curiously.

"Yeah, and movies with cars in them. Have you ever watched 'Gone in Sixty Seconds? It's amazing!" I replied enthusiastically.

"No, I haven't. You're so different, Bella. All my sisters ever want to watch are chick-flicks," he grimaced.

"You accused me of stereotyping people in certain professions and now look at you! You're stereotyping different genders. Not all girls are the same, you know. I enjoy a good chick-flick as well, but I know tonnes of girls who like cars and action movies."

He grinned, loosened up by the alcohol he had consumed. It wasn't enough to make him completely drunk, but his pale cheeks now had a bit more colour to them.

Once the movie was finished, and Edward had consumed at least a third of his pack of cigarettes, he stood up and said he had better get some sleep. I nodded and wished him a good night. He tucked a tendril of my hair behind my ear and said, "Sweet dreams, Bella."

I blushed involuntarily, and stared at him as he walked out of the room. I got ready for bed and did, indeed, have sweet dreams about a certain bronze-haired, grey-eyed man.

I was pulled out of my dreams by a loud sobbing sound, and I woke up disorientated. I saw a 5'3'' figure walking towards me from across the room.

"Bella," I heard Alice's voice whisper.

"Alice, what's wrong?" I asked, as she collapsed in my arms, sobbing and mumbling incoherently. "Alice, calm down. You're mot making any sense. Tell me what happened."

"Jasper," she mumbled. "I told him I loved him and he didn't say it back."

"Aww Alice, it's okay. Maybe he was just taken by surprise," I said, trying to comfort her.

"No, Bella. He doesn't love me. He just stood there saying absolutely nothing," she said, another round of fresh tears pouring down her eyes. "I just want to get out of here Bella. I just wanna grab my suitcase and go. Will you come with me?"

"Alice, are you sure? Edward will be really mad..." I said, trying not to steer her towards an answer so she could make up her own mind. I didn't want to be selfish and put Alice's life in jeopardy just because of my desire to leave. Of course, Edward wouldn't hurt his own sister, but if anything happened to her because of me, I'd never be able to forgive myself.

"I'm sure, Bella. And you've been kept here long enough as it is. You deserve better."

"All right, but do you have a plan? What about our doorman/bodyguard friend?" I said, motioning to the door.

"I'll pack a bag in you meet you in here in fifteen minutes. And don't worry about Sammy. I'll take care of him," she said purposefully, and got up. "Pack now!"

I nodded and hurried to the closet, picking up a large Louis Vuitton bag and stuffing it with practical clothes, toiletries and a small first-aid kit. I changed into a pair of jeans and a long, warm sweater, pulling on my black pea-coat. I waited impatiently for Alice, tapping my boot against the carpeted floor. I heard a muted 'thud' on the other side of the door and it opened. Alice was carrying a bag similar to mine and motioned me to come.

I ran to her and saw Sammy lying on the floor, unconscious. "I drugged him," she said simply, and proceeded with me along the hallways and down the stairs. I noticed the lack of guards but didn't comment on it for fear of making too much noise.

Once we were outside, Alice rushed me to the garage where she opened the door to a canary yellow porsche. I got in and Alice started the car, driving it along the long driveway which I had only seen from above. I breathed out a sigh of relief when we went through the gates without anyone following us.

"How the hell did you get rid of all the guards?" I asked.

"I gave the ones outside the house hot cocoa that had very strong sedatives in them, and as for the guards inside, I just told them I thought there was someone in my room. Security wasn't that tight today because Edward thought you weren't going to try and escape."

"Well, too bad he didn't factor you in," I said, laughing. I felt free as we sped off, leaving my prison behind.

_EPOV:_

My head was pounding, and so was someone's fist on my door. "What?" I screamed at the door. Jasper burst through the door, a worried look on his face.

"They're gone," he said. I jumped out of bed, and grabbed my gun from my bedside table.

"Alice is gone with her?" I asked, trying not to let the worry and anger leak into my voice. Jasper nodded.

"The guards were knocked out. Alice's drug-cocoa cocktail. The rest of the guards were called into her room to look for intruders," he said, and for some reason her looked incredible guilty.

I narrowed my eyes at him. "What do you know Jasper?"

"I might have been the reason that Alice left," he said, trepidation clear on his face. "We wanted to break it to you a little easily, but there's no more time for that now. We need to find them quickly. If Tony's people find them before we do, they wouldn't treat them kindly."

I nodded. "Track the GPS in Alice's phone and car. Do whatever you need to, and Jasper, we'll talk about your relationship with my sister later."

He nodded and left, getting all the guards together for help. I got dressed quickly and went to my office. I couldn't stop thinking about all the ways in which Bella and Alice could get hurt. I wanted to blame someone for all this, but I couldn't. This was all my fault. If I had kept more guards they wouldn't have had the chance to escape. What if I lost Bella? But could you really lose someone who wasn't yours in the first place?

A/N: Next chap will be EPOV. Reviewwwwww!


	6. Chapter 6

_A/N:_ Hey everyone! So sorry for the late update...i was just so busy with uni stuff that I didn't get the time to write much. Thanks for all those amazing reviews!

angelina100: Thank you so much for the idea. I haven't seen that movie but I read the summary and have an idea what it's about. Thanks for your help:)

Disclaimer: Not mine.

_Chapter 6:_

EPOV:

"Sir, there's no signal on the cell's GPS. We're trying to track the car but at the moment, it's out of the satellite's range."

I listened as my tech expert, Seth Clearwater, told me these things. I was getting frantic now. It had been four hours since the two most important people in my life had disappeared. I never thought I'd ever develop certain...feelings...for Bella. It caught me completely off-guard, especially since the last time I had any kind of romantic relationship was when I was a teenager. But I didn't delude myself into thinking that my feelings were reciprocated. Why would Bella care for me anyway? In her eyes I was a cold, heartless killer. She knew that I had killed the Coopers, and many other people as well.

"Sir, what do you want me to do?" Seth asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"Hack into all the security cameras in gas stations going to the French border. My guess is Alice will take her to Paris. It's crowded enough for them to blend in and Alice knows the place well enough to navigate around the city," I told him, and turned to Jasper. "Send all our men out to wherever he finds them, Jasper, and make sure they know not to harm them. And find out what Tony's up to. He's been too quiet for too long. If he finds out that Alice and Bella are gone, he will most likely take advantage of the situation."

Jasper nodded and went out of the room. Seth was typing furiously on his laptop, trying to hack into the security mainframe.

I sat on the sofa, leaning my head back and closed my eyes. Bella's face kept on popping up in my head, as if her image was tattooed onto my eyelids. Not only was she beautiful, but she had enough brains to give a witty answer to each one of my questions and comments. People were usually intimidated by me. I made sure of that, but Bella didn't even flinch when I tried to stare her down.

I remembered how astounded I was by how she had saved that little boy, putting her own life at risk. I didn't doubt she'd do that again for Alice, and that frightened me. I, Edward Cullen, the most prominent mafia member in all of the U.S., was scared. That, had to be a first.

I went out of the room, trying to keep myself busy so I would stop worrying. I went to Bella's room, thinking I might find something there that could help find them.

I walked in, looking around the empty room and feeling Bella's absence more than ever. I looked around in the room, under the bed and in the drawers. I didn't find anything pertaining to their escape, but I did find a letter there written by Bella. It said:

_Dear Charlie and Jacob,_

_If you're reading this, that means I'm dead. Which sucks, but please don't be sad and don't miss me. I've been treated extremely well by my captors. All I wanted you to know is that I love you both. Jake, I'm sorry for breaking your heart, but you've been my best friend and brother everytime I needed you. And dad, I'm sorry for blaming you for mom's death. I realize now that I needed someone to blame at that time and I was wrong to blame you. I love you, dad, and I wish that you and I had spent more time together. I miss you both._

_Love,_

_Bella._

My hands were clenched in anger. She lied to me. She did know Jacob Black; my one worst enemy besides Tony Latoya. He had pried into my personal affairs and used the most unconventional and barely legal methods to try and capture me, but fortunately, I was always two steps ahead of him.

I put the letter back in the drawer and went back to my office where Seth had finally found something.

"They're going to France, all right," he said, pointing at a grainy video of Alice and Bella getting out of the Porsche. Bella was pumping the gas while Alice was getting junk food for their little road trip. Seth wrote the location on a piece of paper and gave it to me. "I'll keep you updated on where they go next."

I nodded and all but dragged all my men out to get to Alice and Bella as soon as possible. I sat with Jasper in my Vanquish, and we sped off towards the gas station.

"I looked around for Tony, but there's no sign of him anywhere. Maybe he's not here anymore, boss. He could have gone back to New York."

I shook my head. "After all these years of working for me, Jasper, your naivete never fails to astound me."

"Yeah, Alice inspires that quality in people. She gave me hope when I had nothing left to hope for."

My hands tightened on the steering wheel. Jasper never talked like this. Whenever he did speak, it had nothing to do with his personal life. "What are your intentions towards my sister, Jasper?" I asked, hoping for his sake that he came up with a good enough answer.

"I intend to marry her someday, when I've turned my life around enough to be worthy of her."

"Do you love her?" I asked, shocked by his words.

"Yes, I do. Unfortunately, I failed to express myself in so many words, but I do, and I will give her a normal and happy life."

"How will you support her?"

"I have some money saved up. Enough to start a small house flipping business. I always had a flair for those kind of things."

"Oh, the kind in which you renovate old houses? I've heard that's a very lucrative business."

He nodded. "Do I have your blessing, Edward?"

I thought about it for a moment. He loved her, and apparently, she loved him back, so who was I to stand in between them? I told Alice that I wouldn't want her to marry a criminal, hoping for a better life for her, but after Jasper's sincere words, I knew he was planning on changing his profession. He deserved to have a happy life with the person he loved.

"You do. But remember this Jasper, if I as much as I find you smoking pot once you've married her, I'm going to blow your head off."

He smiled. "I wouldn't expect any less Edward. Thank you."

I nodded simply and kept on driving. We were about five minutes from the gas station. When we reached there, I didn't see Alice's easily recognizable car there, so I kept on driving, going at 200kmph. I finally spotted the bright yellow vehicle surrounded by black cars on all four sides. There was a crest on the back of all the cars that I would recognize anywhere. It was the Latoya family crest. My throat closed up in fear. If they swerved and hit the car...

_BPOV:_

We were having Cheetos, diet coke and M&M's.

"Edward loves cheetos," Alice said, smiling at a memory.

"Really? I never picked him for a junk food kind of guy," I said, surprised. "I always thought he'd be the wheatgrass juice drinking kind."

Alice laughed. "No way. He hasn't had bean sprouts or broccoli since mom made us eat them when we were kids."

"Aww! How was Edward as a kid?" I was curious about what he was like before he became New York's infamous drug king.

"He was...is the most amazing big brother a girl could ask for. My dad trained him at the office to handle the business once he retired, and Edward loved it. It was all he wanted to do once he got his business degree, but dad made some bad investments and had to get help financially. He went to his friend Tony Latoya in the mafia, and asked for his help. He gave my dad two options; one, my dad could pay him in installments over a year or he could pay him afterwards in one installments. The string attached with the first option however, was that Edward would have to join the mafia as soon as he was 18. My dad didn't want that future for Edward so he didn't have anyway out. Tony killed him, and threatened Edward that he would kill me and mom if he didn't join them. Edward had no choice, so he accepted, but by the time he made the decision, Tony thought that he should remind Edward what was at stake and killed our mom. Both of us were heartbroken, so Edward, to protect me, joined the mafia. He rose in the ranks faster than anyone in the history of the mafia. He's kept our dad's business running successfully as well."

I was shocked by what Alice had told me. "Why did Tony Latoya ask for Edward specifically? And how come you guys don't work for him anymore?"

Alice shrugged. "Maybe he saw some hidden potential in Edward. Who knows. And as for why Edward doesn't work for him anymore, Tony got jealous of Edward's success and tried to have him killed. But Edward found out and got away in time. He decided to take revenge for our parents death so he got back in the game, killing a lot of Tony's men. All those people he said he'd killed, they were all Tony's men. He hasn't killed a single person on his own watch."

I frowned. "And the Coopers?"

Alice sighed. "Mr Cooper wasn't what he seemed like Bella. He was a bad man. He had several off shore accounts that were filled with drug money from Latoya's gang. His wife was just collateral damage. Edward never planned on killing the kid. You just assumed he did from what you saw."

I nodded woodenly. From what Alice was saying, it seemed like Edward was drafted into this thing without his consent, and at such a young age too. I felt a rush of sympathy for the man, and also his sister.

"What was it like, for you?" I asked, hesitantly.

"Edward kept me away from the worst parts. He got me into a good private school and sent me to university to do my bachelors degree in fashion design. I'm in my final year now, but I'm doing my courses long-distance because of the threats that Tony gave Edward. Both of us miss our parents, but we've learned to come to terms with our fate. Edward doesn't believe this is what he was meant to do."

"I agree with him on that. He can do so much better," I said absentmindedly as I processed all the things Alice had told me. So Edward Cullen was a good person...who would've thought?

I thought about the scene at the Coopers. Edward's gun was pointing at the dead couple, not Simon. I tried to make sense of my emotions. Why was I so relieved? I knew it wasn't for fear of my own life. Was it because I wanted to believe that everyone had some good in them? Or was it because I had certain feelings for Edward that I wanted to justify? As all these questions rushed through my head, little did I know that the object of my affection was just a few meters away from me, and so were the people who unintentionally wanted to crush our romance before it even began.

* * *

A/N: like it? even if u dont, reviewww!:) an don't worry, this won't be a tragedy. sorry it's short!


	7. Chapter 7

A/N: Wowwwie! So many amazing reviews! thanks yo! Here's the next chapter...hope you all like it:)

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to steph meyer...i'm just borrowing her characters.

Chapter 7:

EPOV:

I stood there, helpless, as Latoya's men herded Alice's car away, despite her best efforts to evade them. She was trying to steer her car away but the 4 cars around her had boxed her in. Jasper and I followed at a distance, trying to be discrete and succeeding. They took them to the Latoya mansion, an ostentatious monstrosity of a house that screamed excess and bad taste.

I knew what I had to do to save them; Latoya wanted me, not Alice and Bella, and I would make sure that they didn't suffer because of my bad judgement. Jasper parked the car in front of the house and I got out.

"Go back to the chateau, Jasper, and be ready for my call. Make sure you have our boys ready for a good fight, and that all the weapons are fully loaded," I said, taking out my own gun, and hiding it in my shoe. It was custom-made and was small, accurate, and made of carbon fiber so it wouldn't make the weapon detectors go off. It cost me a fortune, but it was worth it.

"I can't let you go in there alone, boss. They'll shred you like Freddy Kruger!" Jasper replied, his eyes wide.

"Don't worry about that. If you want to see Alice, then do as I tell you, or else both of us will be spending the rest of our miserable lives alone, without the people we love." I said absentmindedly as I pushed a glass and ceramic knife into the sock on my other foot.

"Uhm, did you just say 'the people _we love_?' boss? Oh my God! You're in love with Bella!" he said, incredulously.

I tried to cover up the slip up instantly. "Don't be ridiculous, Jasper. Alice is the only family I have left. I was just referring to her."

"Uhuh. Sure, why not? Whatever you say, boss" he said, sarcastically. I gave him a sour look and walked over to the house. I pressed the buzzer and waited for the armed guard to open the door.

"Tell Mr. Latoya that Edward Cullen is here to see him," I said. The guard spoke into an earpiece and opened the gate with a push of the right button.

I walked past him and through the main doors into the house. I was greeted by a greasy looking guy with long blonde hair and a tattoo on the side of his face. He patted me down, looking for my well-hidden weapons. He used the metal detector as well, but found nothing. Then he led me to the office where Latoya was sitting in an ornate armchair, snorting coke through his bulbous nose, leaving a white smudge on it's tip. As I got closer, I saw that his pupils were dilated, and his hands were shaking from the drugs he had consumed. This was one of the many things I hated about my profession; the drug abuse and the money we made from people's addiction and desperation. He looked up at me and gave a crazed smile that would have proved he was high even if I hadn't seen the line of coke on his large desk.

"Ah! Edward, my man! Nice to see you so early," he said, showing me his cosmetically whitened teeth. "I didn't think you'd come back so easily."

I took in a deep breath to calm myself. "I believe you have something that belongs to me. I came to take it back."

"Oh yes, those pretty little things my men found wandering around my street?" he laughed. "Don't worry about them, _il mio amico..._They'll get used to surviving without the luxuries you provided them with while they're living in the basement with the rats."

He was trying to goad me into a fight so he'd have a reason to kill me, but I wasn't going to fall for his tricks. Bella's and my sister's lives were at stake here. "It's me you want, Tony, not them. You can let them go and I'll resume working for you then. I'll even go do that job in Cuba that you wanted me to do, as long as my sister and her friend go free."

He took a cigar out of a box on his desk and lit it, and I could practically see the wheels turning in his head as he processed what I said. The only way he could eliminate me as a threat was if I started working for him, because he knew he couldn't kill me without making alot of enemies. I had made many 'friends' in this business, and all of them would put their lives on the line for me as their fierce sense of loyalty dictated.

"Fine. Jamie, take Eddie here to see his sister and that other girl, and then you can let them go. And give Eddie one of them stamped guns we just got," he said, his attention back to his drugs and cigar. I ignored his use of the irritating nickname he tended to use when he wanted to irk me to the brink of insanity, and followed the dirtbag called James. I had the displeasure of working with this man once before, when I was about to quit Latoya's employment, and recognized him as a sadistic, spineless, coward of a man who had nothing better to do with his life.

He unlocked the door to the basement, and I saw Alice and Bella huddled together in a corner on the cold, dirty floor. I bent down as if to tie my shoe and took out my gun and knife. I sliced his throat swiftly with one slash of the blade, and watched his body crumple to the floor.

I pressed the speed dial on my phone and told Jasper to come get Alice and Bella. I looked at the two girls, one with a shocked expression on her face (Bella) and the other with a relieved one. "Come on, guys. We have to get out of here!" I whispered, motioning to them to come over to the door. Bella was the first to react and pulled Alice along with her, and I was relieved to see they were unharmed. "Stay behind me, okay?"

Bella gave me a look as if to say 'Thank you' and nodded. I smiled at her tentatively, and walked out the door, loading the magazine into my gun. We went up the stairs and I called up Jasper again.

"Almost there, boss," he said, and I could hear the loading of mags in the Uzis, AK-47's and Glocks. My men were coming in fully prepared to fight an army if need be. Good.

"Make sure you don't kill Latoya. He's mine," I whispered bitterly and hung up. I turned to the girls and said, "When Jasper comes, go with him to the car and do as he says. I'll be back once I'm done here."

"You're going after Latoya alone?" Bella asked, her voice cracking from stress.

"Not exactly. The rest of the guys will take care of the guards and I'll just have to do him in. It wouldn't be that hard considering he's been snorting coke all day by the looks of things," I said, trying to put her mind at ease. She nodded but still looked anxious as she chewed on her bottom lip nervously. I looked back in front of me before I got even more distracted, and counted the guys I could see from my vantage point. There were two by the main door, and about four sitting at a poker table in the corner while another three were smoking near the pool-house. I couldn't take them all out and get Bella and Alice out safely at the same time, so I waited for Jasper to barge in through the door. I didn't have to wait long. It took all of three minutes for my guys to come in, take out the guards as well as the guys near the pool. I got rid of the poker-playing dudes, and handed over Bella and Alice to Jasper.

I walked into Latoya's office, not looking back at the worried face of the woman who had reminded me about the humanity I had forgotten about a long time ago. I walked into the office, seeing a frazzled Tony Latoya clutching a gun in his hand as he stared at me with wide eyes. I walked over to him, pointing my gun at his balding skull.

"You killed my parents and you turned me into a monster. Now you're going to pay for that, Latoya. You're going to rot in hell for the rest of eternity. I'll see you there in a few years," I said, but just as I was about to pull the trigger, his drug addled brain somehow triggered his fight-or-flight response. Unfortunately, he picked fight, and before I could get out of the way, the bullet from his gun flew into the left side of my abdomen. I ignored the blood seeping out and shot him at point-blank range. Two in the head, one in the chest. Old school style.

My head was starting to spin from the blood loss as I made my way out to the car. Jasper had already taken the girls back to the chateau, but the rest of my men were there, including Seth. He helped me into the car and we drove back to the house, all the while talking about how much easier our life would be now that Latoya was history.

BPOV:

I couldn't sit still. I kept on pacing around the living room that I had only seen once before in the dark. Edward was fighting mobsters, and in spite of the fact that he was one himself, I couldn't help but wear a hole in the carpet with my worrying. Alice tried calming me down, telling me that Edward had done this tonnes of times before and he'd come out unscathed. It wasn't that i didn't believe her, it was just that I had an unexplainable feeling in the pit of my stomach that made me anxious.

Alice was back after taking a quick shower, and was sitting on the sofa staring out into nothingness as she tried to avoid Jasper's eyes on her. If he had laser vision, he would have made a hole through a dozen people standing in the same line.

"Oh enough already!" I said, exasperated with their inability to express their feelings. "Jasper, Alice loves you, and from what I can tell, you love her too...so for the love of God, tell eachother before it's too late!"

Both of them stared at me in shock, trying to make sense of what I had just said. I rolled my eyes at them and flopped down on the sofa, ignoring the lovestruck looks on their faces as they now stared at eachother. I counted down from ten, and as soon as I reached one, they started talking at once. I left them to resolve their feelings in peace as I went out to the steps and sat on them, waiting for Edward to come.

I had been surprised when he came to rescue us. I thought it would take a while, but he was there within a few minutes of our being taken into the basement. I was trying to comfort Alice since she was quite shaken up after our encounter with Latoya. He had taunted her about her parents' death and it took all my self-restraint to keep from punching that guy in the face. The other blonde guy had also threatened us with some pretty nasty thing, all of which I tried my best to forget.

The sound of gravel crunching under tires pulled me out of my thoughts, and I looked up to see a Cadillac Escalade pull up. Edward got out of it, supported by a gangly kid who looked barely older than sixteen. There was blood all over his shirt and he was clutching his side, his face pale as a ghost.

He lurched forward when he saw me and I ran to him, supporting his other side. "What happened?" I asked stupidly.

"I made mistake number one; I underestimated my opponent," he said, smiling slightly.

"Shouldn't you go to a hospital? Bullet wounds aren't exactly superficial."

"I can't really walk into a hospital with a bullet wound, Bella. The docs have to report them to the authorities, and I don't want your good old friend Jacob Black dropping by to visit right now."

"How did you... find out?" I stuttered.

His mouth mashed into a hard line. "I read your letter."

"Oh. Well that's not nice, you know. You aren't supposed to read other people's letters."

He chuckled. "Don't worry, I don't have the energy to be angry right now."

Alice gasped when she saw Edward and led us to a room nearby. Seth, as the boy had introduced himself, and I lay Edward down on the bed as Alice brought a bowl filled with water and a towel.

"I'll do it," I said, taking the stuff from her and cleaning Edward's wound. "Alice, do you have any morphine?"

She nodded, handing me a syringe and a vial. I injected the liquid into a vein in Edward's arm, after tapping the syringe to make sure there weren't any air bubbles in it.

"Don't kill me, Bella," Edward said, jokingly, his brain fuzzy with the morphine circulating with his blood.

"Don't worry, Edward, I've had lots of experience treating my father's and Jacob's injuries. I swear, those two are the most stubborn people alive. The only way I can take them to the hospital is if I knock them unconscious." I disinfected the area around the wound with iodine and took out the bullet using a pair of sterilized forceps. Edward was barely conscious as I stitched and bandaged the wound, allowing me to do my work in peace. I was about to ask Alice for a blanket for Edward, but she was long gone along with Seth. I didn't want to leave Edward alone in case he needed more painkillers or felt unwell, so I searched the cupboards for a blanket. I rummaged around until I found an old patchwork quilt, and spread it over Edward's still form. I checked his pulse, blood pressure and temperature with the things Alice had left. Everything seemed normal so I settled into a chair by his said, and let the exhaustion of the past few hours take over. I was asleep within a few seconds, and was grateful that my nap was free of nightmares.

A/N: Reviewwwwww!:) and sorry for the late update:P


	8. Chapter 8

A/N: Hellooo everyone! Thank you all for the amazing reviews. I'm sorry for not replying to them and not updating sooner...I was majorly busy with stuff. And also another thing, this might be my last story until the next summer. If I get time, I might write another one, but i'm not sure if I'll have the time since i'm starting uni soon. So thank you all for the amazing reviews for all three of my stories! you guys rock!:)

_Chapter 8:_

BPOV:

I had a horrible crick in neck when I woke up, which was to be expected considering the position I had slept in. I opened my eyes and looked at Edward's grey eyes staring at me. I sat with bated breath as I waited for his reaction. Slowly, a smile stretched across his face, brighter than the light of a thousand suns.

"You stayed," he said, sounding surprised.

"Well, I couldn't leave a sick man alone now, could I? I'm not that heartless," I replied, smiling as well and stretching out my aching muscles.

"But you were clearly uncomfortable, and that is inexcusable," he said, getting off the bed and walking to the closet. He took out a black t-shirt and was about to put it on when I stopped him.

"Let me take a look at the gunshot wound first, Edward. I want to make sure it's healing all right."

He nodded and walked towards me, standing only inches away. I peeled away the gauze, examining the wound.

"It looks good. It's healing and there doesn't seem to be any infection," I said, looking up at him. The things that Alice had told me about Edward had completely altered my perception of him, and I wanted to give him a chance to talk to me without any hesitation.

"Edward, Alice told me about everything that happened with your parents and Latoya. She told me this life wasn't your choice. Was she right?"

His face remained expressionless, but I could see the pain in his eyes. I didn't want to be the one causing him any suffering, so I said, "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it, I just thought I might be able to help you."

He swallowed convulsively. "No, it's okay. It's true, the life I have now isn't by my choice. I did what I had to, to protect my sister, and I don't regret my decision. I was already too late to save my mother and there isn't a day that goes by that I don't think about her sacrifice."

I touched his cheek with my fingertips, and said, "Don't be sad. I know you loved your mother, and I'm sorry that you've had to live without her for so long, but I can help you Edward."

"How, Bella?" he said, harshly. "Can you turn back time and bring back my mother? And what about all those people I've killed?"

"I can't do anything about that Edward, despite my desire to," I said, sucking in a deep breath. "but what I can do, is get your name cleared and hopefully, give you something to redeem yourself with."

"Bella, I think you inhaled too much coke at Latoya's," he replied, his tone mocking. "In what world would a man be acquitted of crimes he's clearly guilty of?" He took a step back and sat on the edge of the bed, cradling his head in his hands.

"I have a plan. and if you'd care to hear me out, you might even like it," I said, trying not to get offended by his words.

"I'm sorry, Bella. Go on, tell me your plan."

"It's quite simple, really. I know it's a bit risky, but if nothing else, I think having my dad on our side would be helpful. The demands you made on the ransom are clearly impossible, so we make another ransom video. In that, I'll tell my dad that in exchange for me, and information on members of the mafia, he clears your record and lets you go free."

Edward was staring at me with wide eyes, shock and astonishment the most dominant emotions on his face. "How the hell do you think that'll work out? If nothing else, he'll know my name and then everything will go up in smoke. He'll be here faster than you can say 'bazooka'!"

"First of all, we won't tell him your name. We'll just say you're a prominent member of the mafia, but we'll have to be careful that the tape doesn't get in the wrong hands. Otherwise, the other mafia people will be on your ass."

He was quiet, mulling the idea over in his head. After a few quiet minutes, he finally spoke up, "Did Alice tell you about my dad's company?" I nodded. "Do you know that if a criminal gets sentenced, all his assets are frozen and eventually taken away. Alice's trust fund, and all the work I've put into my dad's company will be for nothing."

I shook my head. "Not if you've done the business transactions in the company legally, and they can't relinquish Alice's right in anything. She's innocent."

"How do you know so much about this Bella?"

I blushed. "I wanted to be a lawyer once-upon-a-time, so I read a few books in my free time."

He gave me a cheeky smile and said, "How much free time would did you have?"

I punched him on the arm as hard as I could, and said, "Plenty. Now what do you say? Are you in?"

He sighed. "I'll discuss it with Alice, and if she agrees, then I'm in."

"Good," I said, relieved that he had agreed. It was then that I remembered something that had been bothering me ever since I had come back from Latoya's mansion. "Edward, what was up with Latoya wanting you back under his command? Were you really that good?"

"Hardly," Edward snorted. "The reason he wanted me back was because I have some pretty damning evidence against him and Cooper, linking them both with prostitution and drug abuse. Cooper's dead now so it can't harm him, but I could still bring Latoya down with it at the time. Now he's dead too, so it's moot point."

An idea suddenly popped into my head. "Edward! This is perfect! Now our plan will be fool-proof!"

"What do you mean?" he asked, clearly confused.

"Don't you see," I said excitedly. "Now we can just say that I found the evidence while working for the Coopers and Latoya was the one who had me kidnapped on Mr. Cooper's orders!"

"And how did you end up with me?"

"Oh, you saved me of course! And all of Latoya's men are dead and so is he, so no-one can refute our testimony!"

"You'd do that for me? Testify against Latoya just to clear my name?" he asked, unable to comprehend that someone would want to do something nice for him.

"Of course I would," I said, smiling at him.

"Why?"

I couldn't answer that. I couldn't tell him that I had feelings for him, so I decided to try another angle. "Wouldn't you do the same for someone who had saved your life? _You _saved me from Latoya's men."

"Bella, you wouldn't have been there if it wasn't for me. If I hadn't kidnapped you that day, then you wouldn't have escaped and gotten caught by Latoya's men."

I knew I'd lost this round, so I got up and brushed some imaginary lint off my shirt. "It doesn't matter why I'm doing it, just the fact that I am is all you need to know."

I started to walk away from him, but he pulled me back by the arm and turned me around to face him. "Tell me, Bella, and don't you dare lie."

I tried to pull my arm away but his hold was too strong. "Let go of me, Edward."

"No," he said, his voice full of authority and unshakeable confidence.

"You're not getting it out of me, Edward, so you'd better just give up now." He was startled by my harsh tone and I used his moment of distraction to wrench my arm away and rush out the door. I ran up the stairs and into my room, not even paying attention to Jasper and Alice who were wrapped around eachother in the corner of the hallway. I shut the door and sat on my bed, trying to get my heart rate back to normal. Why did he ask me that? Why did the reason matter to him? My thoughts kept on going in answerless circles as I lay on my bed staring at the ceiling. After what seemed like an hour, I decided to get off my fat ass and do something productive. So I grabbed a towel and got into the shower, taking long enough for the hot water to run out but it never did. That's what you get for living with obnoxiously rich people. And yes, my definition of productive was taking a shower. Lame, I know.

I wrapped the thick towel around my torso and went to my room, searching for something to wear. Alice had organised my closet according to the type of clothing, so I had no problem looking for a comfortable pair of stretchy skinny jeans and a blush pink t-shirt that had sequins on it which formed an ornate rose. Both were by Stella McCartney, Alice's favourite designer.

I was walking to the door to lock it when Edward came bursting in, a puzzled look on his face along with a fierce determination. His cheeks flushed a bright red when he saw me standing in just a towel and he turned around at once, mumbling an apology.

"It's ok. Stay here. I'm going to the bathroom to change," I said, and rushed back in before he had the chance to refuse.

I changed quickly and walked back out to see him sitting on the loveseat, picking at a loose thread on the cushion. He looked up when I came out and I could see his cheeks were still flushed. He reminded me of an awkward teenager rather than a mature drug-king. He seemed to realize the same thing and cleared his throat, slipping on his 'Mask of Indifference' as I liked to call it.

"I want to know why," he said simply.

I sighed in exasperation. "Can't you let go of it already?"

"Bella, please understand I have alot riding on this. If this whole deal goes wrong, I'm the one who stands to lose the most."

I think at that moment, my head must have burst into flames in anger. "You?" I shouted, poking his chest with my finger. "You stand to lose the most while I'm the one testifying and risking my credibility in the court? Not to mention the penalty for perjury! Do you have any idea how much time I'd have to spend in prison if they figure out I lied?"

It was then that I saw the look in his eyes change, and then he kissed me.

"Do you know how incredible beautiful you look when you're angry?" he whispered in my ear.

"Shut up and kiss me, you infuriating man," I replied to his shock, and pulled him back to me.

That day was the best day of my life, because it was then that I realized how deep my feelings truly went for Edward. And it was on that day, that he told me that he, too, had feelings for me. Neither of us said much, but whoever said 'actions speak louder than words' was right. By the time Alice barged in with Jasper in tow, both of us knew that we had feelings for eachother, and both of us were two extremely happy people.

EPOV:

It was heaven. Pure, and lovely heaven. When I had kissed her, I thought she'd be mad and push me away, but when she asked me to kiss her again, I knew that I was holding an angel in my arms. At that moment, I knew I had to be the happiest, not to mention the luckiest, man alive.

A/N: So what'd you guys think? Not to mushy, I hope:P Press that review button and let me know!


	9. Chapter 9

A/N: Hey! So sorry for the late upadate people! I will update sooner as the story is now coming to a close. Just a few more chapters left. :(

More reviews=faster updates :)

Chapter 9:

EPOV:

I had seen many people change over the course of my life; both for the better, and the worse, but I had never seen anyone as transformed as I had been by a single person. She had made me what I am now, reminded me of things that I had forgotten in my bid to become a powerful enough mafia member to leave this life of crime and had brought me out of the self-loathing state of mind I had been imprisoned in. I looked at her angelic face as she slept, marvelling at its beauty. She didn't know I was there of course, but after our kiss, I couldn't sleep and the pull I felt coming from her was too strong to ignore. I was sitting on the floor beside her bed, and I knew that if she woke up, there would be hell to pay for my stalker-like activities. She smiled in her sleep and mumbled incoherently, while I tried to stop myself from laughing out loud. Then she said something, so loud and clear that at first I thought she was awake. A smile stretched across my face as I heard her say it again. My name. She wasn't dreaming about that poor excuse of a man Jacob Black, she was dreaming about me, and she was smiling too. It took all of my self-control to walk out of her room and to my own. I had given up on sleep, but settled on lying in bed and thinking of her like the love-crazed, blind fool I had become.

_The next morning:_

A light knock on my door woke me up, and despite having just three hours of sleep, I jumped out of bed to open it thinking that it might be Bella. But instead of the chocolate brown eyes of my beautiful girl, I was staring at an over-hyper pixie along with the a statuesque blonde who made Lily Donaldson look like a gargoyle. They came wielding garment bags, so I let out a groan and climbed back into bed.

"Oh no you don't Edward Cullen," Rose said. "You have to try on these tuxedos and see if they fit. I'm not going to have the best man at my wedding wear something that doesn't fit properly."

She tried to pull the comforter off my face but I wouldn't let her. "Go away Rose, I need to sleep!"

"Edward Cullen if you don't get off that bed right now, so help me I will call your lady-love and tell her about your escapades in Brazil last summer."

I froze. "You wouldn't," I said, peeking at her from under the covers. She raised an eyebrow at me as if to say 'Try me'. I sighed in defeat and dragged myself off the bed, pulling the garment bag from Alice's hand and going the bathroom to change into the monkey suit. It fit perfectly, thank God, and once my sisters had blessed me with their approval, I showered and changed into a pair of jeans and a blue collared shirt quickly. Alice had told me that Bella was awake and I was anxious to see her and determine if that one kiss had affected her as much as it had me.

I went to the living room and waited for her to come downstairs as she wasn't confined to her room anymore. Minutes went by but seemed like hours; 3 minutes...5 minutes...7 minutes...10 minutes. _That's it, _I thought, _I'm not going to sit here and do nothing while I wait for her to come down. _My guess was my sisters had gotten to her before I had. I took out my first cigarette of the day and lit it, inhaling deeply and relishing the feel of it entering my lungs. My eyes fell on the bottle of cognac that Emmet had brought as a last minute 'Congrats on finally being whipped like I am' present. I poured myself a glass and sat back on the couch. Unfortunately, drinking and smoking weren't things that kept me occupied enough so I searched for another distraction. I avoided looking at the clock, knowing from experience that my desire to make it go faster wouldn't actually make it go faster. My eyes fell on my gun, so I picked it up and started dismantling it. Cleaning a gun was essential for its proper functioning, so I meticulously took apart every piece and cleaned it with a piece of flannel. I was absorbed in my work, and didn't notice how much time had past. I had succeeded in my endeavor.

BPOV:

When I woke up, everything seemed brighter; the colours, the lights, even my own face. Everything seemed to have been painted by a magician's paintbrush, and I knew there was only one reason for my sudden bright outlook. And his name was Edward Cullen. We hadn't said anything after our kiss, but the enormous smiles on our faces left no need for words. I jumped out of bed, anxious to see him and make my morning a good one. I showered and put on a beige sweater dress, along with gold chandelier earrings and a chunky golden ring that had a black stone in it. The outfit looked perfect, and before I could start my make-up, Alice barged into the room along with a blonde-haired beauty. I smiled at them, and waited for Alice to make the necessary introductions.

"Bella, this is Rosalie, my sister and Emmet's fiancee. Rose, this is Bella, former captive but recent love-interest of our brother," she said, grinning at me cheekily.

"Well, Bella," Rosalie said, grinning at me and extending a hand to shake. "It's nice to meet you. I must admit you weren't my most favourite person when we had to move here and delay my wedding, but I know that it was all Edward's fault anyway and you're a wonderful person. At least that's what I know from what Alice has told me."

I laughed at her honesty, and shook her hand firmly. "Well I'm glad Alice has been advocating my case to you, but I offer you my sincerest apologies all the same. Getting kidnapped by a mob boss wasn't on my to-do list for the month." I winked at her and all three of us laughed. It wasn't until Rosalie saw my Loubotins however, that I knew what amazing friends we would be.

"Oh my God, are those the Loubotins Alice got for you a few days ago?" I nodded. "They're lovely!"

"Thank you," I said, and the three of us started chatting.

"Bella, there's been a bit of a problem with the wedding," Rosalie was saying. "One of my cousins was supposed to be the bridesmaid but she had some complications with her pregnancy and she won't be able to make it. I know this is asking alot on such short notice, but will you be my bridesmaid?"

I was shocked to say the least. I had just met Rosalie five minutes ago and despite the fact that I liked her alot, it was beyond my comprehension why she would want me to step in. "Uhm, Rosalie I'd love to, but are you sure you want a stranger to be a part of your wedding?"

"You're not a stranger Bella. Edward and Alice told me what you're going to do with the whole getting Edward's name cleared and everything, and a person who is willing to risk so much for someone who wasn't that good to them in the first place, isn't a stranger. That person's family."

"You're putting too much faith in me, Rose, but if it's a bridesmaid you want, it's a bridesmaid you'll get," I said. Alice squealed at a frequency only audible to cat's ears and hugged us both.

"This is gonna be so much fun! Bella, you're going to walk down the aisle with Edward, and I'll walk with Jasper. But the most important thing is the dress. Rose wanted the bridesmaids' dresses to be black, but the style is your choice. I think a shopping trip is in order since we don't have enough time for couture."

I nodded and we continued talking about everything that needed to be done for the wedding; from flowers to table linens. Alice wanted to go shopping right now, but there were more pressing matters that I had to attend to. I needed to plan everything with Edward and then call my dad. Everything needed to be orchestrated perfectly and there was no room for error.

"Alice, just let me talk to Edward first and then we'll go. Give me an hour, okay?" I said, getting up and straightening my dress. Alice looked disgruntled but nodded, and I gave her a grateful smile and hurried down the stairs. Edward was sitting on the sofa, exuding nonchalance as he smoked his cigarette and re-assembled his gun. I had to admit, even though he looked more like a mafia boss now than ever, he still took my breath away. He looked up when he heard the clicking of my heels on the floorboards and smiled.

"You look beautiful Bella," he said, getting off the couch and walking towards me. His hands brushed across my cheeks and then he bent down to kiss me. It was just like last night; my heart

seemed like it would explode from happiness, and my brain seemed to turn to mush. I couldn't think about the reason I had come to talk to him. Hell, I couldn't even remember my own name.

I remembered though when we broke apart, gasping for breath and grinning like idiots.

"You don't look so bad yourself, Cullen," I said, ruffling his already messed up hair. I tried clearing my head so I took a step back and smiled at Edward's frown. "I'm here on serious business, Cullen. Don't distract me."

"Oh all right, Swan," he said, sighing defeatedly. "What is it that's more important than you and I?"

"We'll talk about the 'you and I' thing later," I said, winking at him. "Right now we need to figure what to tell my dad first. Rosalie and Emmet's wedding is in a week's time, and my dad will want me to come back ASAP. So what do you want to do?"

His expression changed from a playful one to one of a man condemned. My hand reached out automatically to comfort him, but he took an unsteady step back.

"Edward what's wrong?" I asked, my heart clenching at the sight of his pained face.

"You'll need to leave," he stated simply, but his voice was drenched in pain.

"I will, but I'm not going anywhere without you. Lets just call my dad and make our demands. Protection and freedom in exchange for information. How about it?"

He smiled at me, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "All right. You're the boss."

I laughed at that and stood on my tip toes to kiss his cheek. He enveloped me in his arms and sighed sadly. "I need an untraceable phone Edward, and maybe a glass of whatever you were having just before I came."

My comment had the desired effect as Edward laughed. He handed me his cell phone and I dialed the number I had dialed so many times ago but under better circumstances. My father's tired sounding voice answered it.

"Hey dad, you sound beat. Are you working late again?" I asked, as if I was calling from my own home, but in reality my heart was thudding in chest so fast that I thought that at least Edward was bound to hear it.

"Bella?" he asked, disbelievingly.

"Yeah, dad, it's me. Are you okay?"

"Bella, where are you? Who took you. Tell me, quick!"

"Dad it's okay. I'm fine now. I wasn't...before, but now I'm doing great," I said, trying to sound convincing.

"Bells, what happened? Are you safe?"

"Yes, I am. The person who kidnapped me was Tony Latoya, the mafia guy, remember?" I prayed that this would work. It had to.

"Yeah, I remember that slimeball, but I heard that he was killed."

"Yeah, he's dead now, thanks to a friend of mine."

The line went quiet for an ominous moment. "What friend?"

"I can't tell you his name yet dad, but he saved me and is willing to give a lot of information on a lot of bad guys in exchange for clearing his record and not freezing his legitimate assets."

"Bella, what are you talking about. You're not making any sense. Who is this guy and why don't you just come home?"

"Dad, this guy saved my life, and killed a very prominent mafia member. Do you think the rest of the mob is going to leave him be? And how can you expect me to just leave the man who saved my life? I owe him everything, and so do you." I sighed, knowing my dad will take some time mulling this over. "You have three days to decide dad. Once you talk it over with the rest of your fed buddies, let me know. I'll call you in 72 hours. Bye."

I hung up before he had the chance to say anything else. "How did I do?" I asked, turning to Edward.

He smiled at me and said, "You were marvellous, Bella."

I mock-curtsied and thanked him. I sat beside him on the couch and thought about whether I should start the subject of our relationship now or not. Unfortunately, my decision was made for me as Alice and Rosalie came down and dragged me back up to get ready. I gave Edward an apologetic look and hurried to my room to grab a purse despite the fact that I had no cash, credit cards or even a cell phone. I put on a beige Burberry trench which looked amazing with my beige and red Loubotins and went back downstairs. Edward was waiting there for me, and handed me a wallet.

"It's some Swiss currency and credit cards. They have no limit so you can shop as much as you want on them. And here's a cell phone," he said, handing me an iPhone 3GS.

"Edward I can't take this money, its yours," I said, handing him the wallet back. He shook his head at my reluctance and just grabbed my purse and shoved the things in.

He took my face in his hands and said, "Go, shop, have fun. It's been a while since you did that. And don't worry about the money, you can even pay me back if it'll make you feel better, and it's for my sister's wedding anyway."

I deliberated for a second. I could pay him back when I got back home, so I agreed. I had a hefty trust fund that could buy me an island if I wanted one, so it was all well and good. I thanked him and warned him that he will have to accept my money when I paid him back. He swore he would, but the glint in his eyes and the mischievious smile on his face said otherwise.

Alice, Rosalie and I left soon afterwards, heading straight for the high-end boutiques. After hours of hunting for the perfect dress, we finally found it. It was a vintage Chanel dress that was black and had silver work done on it. Rosalie said it would complement Alice's dress perfectly so I got it. Once the fitting was done, we headed to a trendy cafe for lunch and chatted over coffee and cold-cut sandwiches.

When we finally got home, Edward, Jasper and Emmet were waiting for us in the lounge with three empty pizza boxes and some lame action movie that only Emmet had the inclination to watch. I motioned Edward to come with me to my room so I could leave my bags there and talk to him privately. The others were too busy with their own reunions to notice us slipping away.

I dumped the bags on my bed and turned to face Edward. "I missed you," I whispered.

"And I, you," he said.

"Edward, this...thing...between us, we need to talk about it," I said, sitting down on the bed with him. "To put it simply, I like you. In fact, I more than like you and I want to spend every minute of every day getting to know you. So are you in?"

"I couldn't have put it any better myself," he said, grinning and kissing my forehead sweetly. "But I guess there is one thing I would have said differently; I want to spend every minute of every day of the rest of my life getting to know you and making you the happiest possible woman on this earth, Bella."

I wanted to tell him that I loved him, more than I had anyone else, but I was afraid it would be too much, too soon. So I didn't say anything then, but I knew that one day, when we weren't so afraid of everything that could tear us apart, I would tell him. And for my sake if not his, I wished it was soon.

A/N: Like it? or too much fluffiness?Review and let me know :)


	10. Chapter 10

A/N: Thank you for all the amazingggg reviews guys! They made a good day an awesome one:)

Hope you like this chapter. Review if you do (or even if you don't :P)

More reviews=faster updates:)

Disclaimer: Everything belongs to Steph Meyer, and I am no way insinuating that Patrick Demarchelier is in any way fraternizing with the mafia. He's just a really awesome photographer.

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Chapter 10:

_FBI Headquarters:_

Chief Swan and Jacob Black were meeting with the rest of the FBI agents that had any say in the matter of Bella's kidnapping. They were all high ranking officials who earned more than enough to have penthouses in New York along with a house in the Hamptons. Jacob was the only one in the room who didn't have a receding hairline or high cholesterol levels.

The Chief was at his wit's end with the time these people were taking to make the decision concerning his daughter. He knew she was safe now, but he also knew that her current state of well-being was subjective. If he said 'no' to her earlier request, whoever was with her would no longer need her, and would most probably feel the need to dispose of her. And contrary to popular belief, he did care about his daughter. Alot, in fact. Renee's death had taken a toll on the newly-elected Chief, and he thought that distancing himself from his daughter would save him from the pain of the inevitable removal of his daughter from his life. It wouldn't be as permanent a separation as her mother's death, but it would be horribly painful nonetheless.

"We need to know who the man is. What if it's someone even worse than Latoya?" one of the balding men asked.

"We can't risk it," Charlie replied, annoyed by the man's callousness. "If the person who has her finds out she's of no use to him anymore, he might not feel the need to send her back."

"And the fact that he saved her from Latoya in the first place shows that he can't be that bad," Jacob interjected, trying to further Charlie's case. "But we can't take the risk that this person's charitable actions will continue. We have no idea where Bella is, and we have no way of contacting her either since her line was untraceable."

"We have to consider that this might not be the best course of action," one of the guys said.

"But we also can't negate the fact that my daughter's life is in danger, damn it!" Charlie shouted. "My little girl is God knows where, with God knows who. She should be the priority here!"

Jacob put a hand on Charlie's shoulder, trying to prevent any rash behaviour on his part. Everyone else could see that the Chief was adamant and eventually decided that they would go ahead with Bella's requests but keep a contingency plan on hand. With only three hours left to the 72 hour deadline, Jacob was put in charge of thinking out the plan along with two other guys from his team, Quil and Leah.

"We could always back out of the deal once we find out who he is," Quil suggested casually, taking a bite out of the apple in his hand. "Put him in the slammer as soon as we get to him."

Jacob hit him upside the head. "That's not an option, you clown. We need something solid, and if this guy has a serious criminal record, which I think he does if he's willing to go against someone as powerful as Latoya, then he'd be prepared for something like that. We have to come up with something completely unexpected."

Quil rubbed his head thoughtfully while Leah had a shrewd expression on her face. "What if we give in to his demands, and if we find out how bad of a guy he is, one of us takes him out. Silently and without leaving behind any evidence. Not even dental records."

"I don't know. It does come in the morally gray area and it's not something unexpected," Jacob said, not surprised that Leah had come up with something that wasn't a peaceful resolution. "But I don't think we have any other option, so keep it on the DL until we get it all sorted out."

Leah nodded and left for her lunch break, while Jacob and Quil stayed behind, both of them wondering whether this girl was on the wrong side of the yellow tape.

* * *

_At the Chateau in Switzerland:_

_BPOV:_

"Bella, pleaseeeeee! I promise I won't ask you for anything else ever again!" Alice moaned. She was giving me the infamous puppy-dog look, but I was holding my own against her for now.

"Alice, for the last time I will not!" I said, scowling at her. "It's not my place!"

"BS, Bella! Both of us know you're as much a part of this family as anyone! You have to be in the family portrait. You know how much this would mean to him, don't you?"

Before I could retort, a strong pair of arms circled my waist and whispered, "She's right, you know."

I twisted around to face the fiend, but was disarmed once again by the beautiful grin on his face. "Do you even know what she's talking about?" I asked, trying to keep my voice even and seem unaffected.

"She's talking about the family photography we're going to get done by Patrick Demarchelier," he said, the mischievous twinkle clear in his eyes. "I'd heard you really like his work so I invited him over for the portrait and dinner."

I stood there with my mouth open, gaping like a fish. Patrick Demarchelier did not do family portraits, he did the best fashion photography in the industry. And I bet he didn't do dinner at Mafia leaders' chateaux either.

"I...how did you?" I stuttered.

Edward laughed huskily. "Let's just say he owed me a favour."

I frowned at him, but before I could reprimand him, he pointed to the clock. It was time to call my dad. I took a deep breath and took the phone from Edward's hands.

"Hey, dad," I said into the speaker.

"Hey Bells. How are you?" he replied, his voice strained.

"I'm good. So it's been three days...do we have a deal?"

"Bella, you don't need to be a part of this. If things get nasty, I don't want you to get caught in the crossfire."

"I'm in this whether you like it or not dad. And there's a cease-fire going on right now. So what have you decided?"

He sighed loudly. "You have a deal. We'll give this _person _a chance. We'll clear his record if he can provide us with enough information to apprehend a few crime lords, and we'll keep him in the Witness Protection Program after it's all finished."

Edward nodded at me and I said, "Okay, we're going to meet you at the Met in five days dad, and the person I'm with is Edward Cullen."

The line went silent for a split second and then the tirade began. "Bella what the hell do you think you're doing with that son-of-a-bitch? Get out of there, NOW!"

I saw Edward's face turn cold as ice when he heard my father's words, and I tried to salvage the situation quickly. "He saved my life, even though at that time he didn't know who I was. He could have just killed me along with Latoya's men but he didn't. Everyone deserves a second chance."

I took Edward's hand in mine, trying to calm him down. "Dad, it's your choice. Either you give Edward another chance, or you can say goodbye to your daughter. I won't be coming back home then."

"Bella," Charlie choked out. "Don't do this. I love you, kiddo, and I can't bear to have you with someone who's responsible for pretty much the whole drug trade in New York."

"Dad, what was your decision before you heard his name?"

"We'd decided to agree to your demands, and if not going through with it means losing you to a gang-banger, then fine. We're willing to go ahead with the previous plan."

I ignored the gang-banger comment and said,"That's good. Thanks dad." I hung up and gave Edward a brilliant smile. "We did it!"

Edward's mood however, was quite the opposite of mine. The deep frown etched on his face made him seem about five years older than he really was. "You didn't have to do that, Bella."

"Yes, I did. I have heard that people do crazy things when they're in love," I said absentmindedly, thinking about what the feds' next step would be in a situation like this.

I looked up at Edward to ask him what other hideouts he had across the globe, but was met by his shocked stare. His eyes were bugging out of their sockets and he was fumbling for words.

"What?" I asked. "What did I say?"

"You...you love me?" he choked out.

I rolled my eyes at him, but blushed all the same. "Well of course I do, you buffoon," I said in a low voice. "I thought you would have realized that by now."

He was quiet for a long second and then took my face in his hands and kissed me like he never had before. "You just made me the happiest man alive."

I grinned at him. "Really?"

"Yes, and I love you." My heart just about burst in my chest when he said that, and I pulled him down to kiss him again.

We were interrupted by a loud cough. It was Rosalie, and she cam to tell me that it was almost dinner time. I thanked her and went to my room to get dressed, giving Edward a wink on my way out. The grin that seemed a permanent fixture on his face was a testament to the fact that he really was happy right now. My heart swelled with joy at the thought that I was the one to make him smile.

* * *

_Back at FBI HQ:_

Jacob Black was in a furious rage. He couldn't believe that Bella could be so stupid as to trust someone like Edward Cullen. He needed to show her the crime-scene pictures he had just so she could see what that man was capable of. The fact that Charlie had agreed to her demands was even more infuriating. _Looks like the old man's gone soft, _Jacob thought.

He flopped down in his chair and sighed. He knew he wasn't being fair, that he would have done the same if he was in the Chief's shoes, but the fact that Bella was in the hands of a world-renowned killer wasn't something that would help him sleep at night. The rage was slowly ebbing away, leaving hopelessness behind. Quil came up to him hesitantly, aware of his boss's foul mood.

"Uh, Sir, Chief's calling you in his office," he said, and walked back to his cubicle as fast as his legs could carry him.

Jacob went to the Charlie's office, and was shocked to see the even-tempered man close to breaking point.

"You called, sir?" he asked, unsure whether he should stay or just leave the man to his misery.

"Yes, Jacob. Come on in. I need to talk to you about the predicament we're in. I'm sure I can trust you with what I'm about to say. Close the door and have a seat," he said seriously.

Jacob did as he said and waited for the chief to speak up. After a good few minutes, Charlie looked Jacob straight in the eye. "Bella life is in danger every second she spends with that man, and I can't let that happen. Risking her life like this is inexcusable, and I will not stand for this any longer. Frankly speaking Jacob, I need your help. I need you to find out where that poor excuse of a man is, and get rid of him. Make sure he is not in any position to hurt my baby-girl. Of course, this needs to be bit more of a private stake-out than one carried out by the Bureau. I'm sure you understand."

Jacob smiled. "Of course, boss. I've been handling his case for quite some time, and it won't be hard to come across his credit card records. I'm sure I'll be able to find him within the week. You have nothing to worry about."

Excellent," Charlie replied. "Secrecy is key, Jacob, don't forget that. Even your team can't know about this."

Jacob nodded and left the room, taking the gun and silencer that Charlie had given him. It was one of those confiscated from a mafia low-life they had captured some months ago, and had his prints on them. The convict had been released a few days ago and was perfect as the scapegoat. Jacob knew he needed to do this soon. Bella wouldn't be in danger for much longer.

* * *

_Back in Switzerland:_

BPOV:

The dinner was wonderful, and so was our guest. The photoshoot was, admittedly, not that horrible so I just plastered on a smile and pinched Edward every chance I got. He was the one who emotionally blackmailed me into doing this, so he deserved to suffer a little. There was one shot that Patrick took and I really loved. It was a surprise shot. When I thought that the photoshoot was over, Edward came up behind me and tickled me. The shot was of both of us laughing while he hugged me from behind. Both of us looked so happy and normal, it was hard to believe that we were in a very unique and potentially dangerous situation. Patrick said he would bring the pictures with him to Rosalie's wedding, and he promised to have the one of me and Edward framed as a thank-you for the dinner invitation.

By the time he went home after a cup of coffee, everyone was exhausted. Rosalie and Emmet had already gone to bed, while Alice and Jasper were slumped on one of the sofas with Edward and I on another.

My head was in Edward's lap and he was playing with my hair distractedly. I would tell his mind was miles away, probably quite a few miles away in New York. I could understand how much he had to lose, and how the thought of putting it all at risk unnerved him.

"Hey," I whispered. "It'll be okay."

He looked down at me and smiled. "Do you have any mindreading abilities that I was unaware of, darling?"

"No, dear," I laughed. "I just know you really well."

"Do you?" he asked, and I could sense the underlying meaning in his words.

"The past doesn't matter, Edward, only the present and future do. I've made some mistakes myself, but I don't dwell on them. Forget everything that happened Edward."

"Bella, that's what you say now, but what if some time later, something from my past comes up and makes you doubt me? What if you don't want to be with me anymore?" The pain leaked into his voice at the end, and it made my own eyes tear up. "I wouldn't be able to bear that."

I took his face in both my hands and said with a conviction so strong that even Alice and Jasper looked up to hear our whispered conversation. "Nothing, Edward, will ever make me doubt you, and nothing can _ever_ make me leave you. I would rather die than spend another day without you in my life."

"Don't say that, Bella," he reprimanded. "Never talk like that. If anything happens, I don't want you to think like that. Got it?"

"Well, if I can help it, it won't come to that. So let's just never be apart, okay?"

He smiled at me but i could still see the melancholy reflected in his eyes. "Okay. So what do you say we go to bed now. It's been a long night."

I grinned at the less-than-innocent look on his face and nodded. We left Jasper and Alice sitting on the sofa, without even saying 'good night.' We were too lost in thoughts of eachother to even have room in our brains for anything else.

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A/N: Reviewww!:)


	11. Chapter 11

A/N: Thank you all for the wonderful reviews! they were awesome!

Btw, next chapter's gonna have loads of action!

Disclaimer:Not mine, all steph meyer's genius

Chapter 11:

BPOV:

Everything was set. Rosalie's bachelorette party was in full swing two days before the wedding day just so she didn't have a hangover the day of. All her close friends had flown in; Kate, Irina, Carmen, Zafrina, Senna and Tia. They were all wonderful people that I had a great time with, especially Zafrina. She was a super-model and had met Rosalie at a fashion show both of them were doing in Paris and hit it off immediately. Zafrina's Brazilian background was an interesting topic for discussion, and we promised eachother to plan a trip there soon.

By the time we came back home in the limo, we were all hammered. Rosalie had reached her limit of 'knock-knock' jokes and Kate of all her blonde jokes. It was like they were having a lame-joke war without even knowing it. The long trek to my room seemed too long, so I just crashed on Edward's bed in his room. He still wasn't back from the bachelor party, despite the fact that it was almost 4 o'clock in the morning. I didn't worry much though, and pulled the covers over my face and fell asleep instantly.

The next morning was brutal, of course. The pounding in my head was so strong that I didn't even notice the man snoring beside me, and as a rush of nausea hit me, I jumped out of bed and into the toilet. Throwing up as soon as I woke up wasn't something I liked to do, but considering I had drank my weight in alcohol last night, it was inevitable. I heard a groan from the direction of the bed while I was brushing my teeth, and looked to see Edward clutching his head as he tried to get up. I spat out the toothpaste and rinsed my mouth, smiling at him.

"Rise and shine, sleepyhead," I said, deliberately talking in a high-pitched voice to annoy him.

He looked up and 'shush'ed' me. I grinned and gave him an asprin from the bedside table along with the bottle of water I had left there before the party began. He gave me a grateful smile and took it, handing the bottle back to me. I followed his example and downed the pill, hoping it would work it's magic soon.

I was about to go get a change of clothes I had stashed in Edward's closet, but he pulled back my hand before I could leave. "Don't I get a good morning kiss?" he said, his voice husky from the drinking.

I wrinkled my nose at him. "Not when you smell of beer, love." I laughed at his offended expression and stood on my tip toes to kiss him. "Good morning again. Now come on, we have to get ready so we can help Rosalie and Alice with everything. There's alot to do with wedding just a day away."

Edward groaned again. "When this wedding's over, I will be an extremely happy man. Especially when I don't have to see my sister making out with her soon-to-be-husband all the time."

"That's something we'll all be grateful for," I said, grimacing. Rose and Em's PDA was something that annoyed everyone in the house, but thankfully they were going to Hawaii for their honeymoon so we would be free of that torment.

"I just wish that we could stay in all day," Edward said with a wistful smile gracing his features. "Have breakfast in bed and just talk, or watch movies. Just the two of us, no interruptions."

"I'd like that, too, and we will do that when the wedding is over. I promise," I said, and starting busting out dance moves while singing 'Nothing's gonna stop us now."

Edward was laughing hysterically and so was I when Alice burst through the door without knocking. The panicked look on her face had me shut up in an instant.

"What happened?" I asked, trying not to panic.

"Emmet ripped his tuxedo while trying it on! The jacket's seam split through all the way," she screamed.

I breathed a sigh of relief when I realized our lives were not at risk. "It's okay, Alice, all we need to do is drop the tux back off at the atelier and have them fix it. We still have a day before the wedding and it's gonna be fine."

She nodded and went back out, mumbling 'ripping $1500 tuxedoes while impersonating 'Jersey Shore' characters. He'll have hell to pay later."

I felt sorry for Emmet. Alice wasn't someone that you would want as your enemy. I sighed and told Edward I needed to shower and get changed so I could help with all the wedding stuff. He pouted, trying to lure me into staying but I remained strong and went to do what I had to. After the quick shower I went to the kitchen where all the girls were nursing their hangovers. The chef was making everyone light breakfasts that they could keep down. I felt fine after throwing up already so I grabbed a sesame-seed bagel and smeared it with cream cheese.

"So what's on the agenda?" I asked Alice, and thus the hectic day before the wedding started.

It was past midnight when I finally had the chance to lie down and get some rest. I hadn't seen Edward since morning because he went out to do something with Jasper. He was being secretive about his whereabouts and I was beginning to get worried. It wasn't that I didn't trust him, it was just that I always believed that secrets, no matter how small, ruined relationships. My room was beginning to feel too big and too empty, so I went back outside, ignoring my aching feet and my cramped leg muscles. As soon as I reached the bottom steps, the front door opened to reveal an exhausted Edward carrying a bucket of Ben and Jerry's cookie dough ice cream. He smiled when he saw me and held up the ice cream.

I grinned and ran towards him, taking the ice-cream and kissing his nose. "Thank you!" I squealed and ran to grab 2 spoons from the kitchen.

"I thought you might need some comfort food after all the running around today," he said from the couch. I sat next to him and handed him a spoon. We dug into the delicious creamy goodness that was the king of all comfort foods and had the large pack cleaned out within a few short minutes.

"So what did you do all day," I asked Edward, trying to get an idea about what he was doing all day.

"Oh just some shopping," he said, trying to look innocent but the look in his eyes had me believing otherwise.

"So where are all the shopping bags?" I asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow at him.

"In the car," he said simply.

"So what did you get?"

"Oh just a little of this, little of that," he said, trying to scrape of the ice-cream stuck on the inside of the container.

His short, unhelpful answers were irritating me, but my exhaustion won over my curiosity and I got up to go to bed.

"I'm going to go sleep Edward. I'll see you in the morning."

"Okay. Good night, love," he said. I frowned but walked away. he always asked me stay in his room, but tonight, he didn't. I went to sleep with a heavy heart that night, and despite my fatigue, my sleep wasn't a restful one and my nightmares woke me up at regular intervals. They were all the same in principle; Edward being sucked back into a life of crime, and the feds taking him out, while I stood there helpless and unable to do anything to help him.

The dark circles under my eyes were a testament of my restless night when I woke up the next morning. The first thought I had when I saw myself in the mirror was 'Damn! Alice is gonna kill me." She didn't want me to be the zombie bridesmaid at her sister's wedding. Turns out that she not only had to deal with a zombie bridesmaid, but a zombie best-man as well. Edward seemed to have gotten as much sleep as I did, which made me wonder what thoughts or nightmares had kept him up at night.

He smiled when he saw me, and pulled me into his arms. "Ready to say goodbye to Mr. and Mrs. PDA today?"

I laughed. "Yes. Although I'm afraid I might fall asleep during the ceremony. Seems like you're at risk of that danger as well."

"Very perceptive of you, Miss. Swan," he chuckled. We had breakfast together, while talking about the wedding and what we were going to do when we had to meet my father.

"It's going to be a tense situation," I warned him. "My dad's not one for second chances."

"I know," he sighed. "But from what I've heard he's a fair man. If he stops long enough to listen to me, we might just get out of it unscathed."

"I hope so, too, but just in case things don't go as expected, do you have a contingency plan?" I asked.

"Maybe," he said, mysteriously.

"Why are you being so bloody secretive?" I exclaimed, exasperated by his behaviour.

"Because it's a surprise," he said cheekily. I huffed and crossed my arms.

"I don't like surprises," I said, pouting at him.

"You'll love this one. Trust me," he said, getting off the kitchen stool and giving me a peck on the cheek.

Alice and I left soon after to go to the Salon, where Rosalie was already waiting to have her hair and make up done. We had a make-up artist and hair-stylist each, and were ready to leave for the hotel where the wedding was taking place within three hours. Alice and I put on our bridesmaids' dresses and helped Rosalie into her wedding dress. She was a vision in her ivory Vera Wang gown. The bouquet of white and red roses was perfectly made and complemented her dress perfectly. The gauzy veil was held in place expertly by the hairdresser, and once we were all set, we took the limo to the Intercontinental Hotel.

The ceremony would start in half an hour and most of the guests were already convened in the ballroom. I looked for Edward as we passed through the lobby, but he was nowhere to be seen. We went to the bridal suite and tried to calm Rosalie down as she began to hyperventilate.

"I can't believe I'm doing this," she was saying while gasping for breath. "I'm getting married to Emmet freaking McCarty! Oh God!"

"Oh come on, Rose," Alice said in a soothing voice. "You love Emmet, and he loves you, and we paid about $20,000 on this wedding, so let's get the show on the road."

I tried not to laugh at Alice but failed miserably, and in a few minutes, all three of us were laughing like drunken idiots.

We sobered up when Jasper came up to get Rosalie. He was the one giving her away as well as one of the groomsmen since Rose's father had passed away so long ago.

"Count till twenty and then follow after Bella," Alice said to Rose, before walking down the aisle alone. Edward was there to escort me and I smiled when I saw his face after what seemed like several lifetimes. He reciprocated with a full blown-out grin and we walked down the aisle and took our place on either side of Emmet. Everyone waited expectantly as the wedding march began to play, and Rosalie walked down it looking like an angel straight from heaven.

She stood next to Emmet and the priest began the traditional ceremony. They said their respective 'I do's' and were soon pronounced husband and wife. Everyone clapped as they kissed and then the party began.

I slipped my hand through Edward's as soon as I got close to him. He squeezed my hand gently and whispered into my ear, "You wanna get out of here?"

"Don't you have to give the best mans' speech?" I inquired.

"We'll come back in time for that. Come on. There's something I wanna show you," he said, dragging me out by my hand. We got into the elevator and he pressed the button for the top floor.

"Where are we going?" I asked, curiously.

"You'll see," he said, smirking at me. We stepped out onto the floor and Edward led me to one of the rooms. We slipped in once he had swiped the key card and before I knew it, Edward's hands were covering my eyes.

"Just a second," he said, as I voiced my complaints, and then after we walked a few more steps, he released my eyes. What I saw in front of me seemed like something out of a romance novel. Everything was covered in soft white rose petals, and garlands of freesias, white orchids and peach roses hung from the ceiling, giving the room the most delicate, sweet fragrance. Edward led me to the bed and sat me down on the edge. Then he took a deep breath and got down on one knee. My own much-needed intake of oxygen stopped as I watched him take out a small black velvet box and opened it. I stared at him in shock as he spoke the words that were the sweetest I had ever heard.

"Bella, before you came into my life, I was a callous, despicable man, but you've changed me from that into someone who can appreciate beauty and love when he sees it. You made me who I am now Bella, and for that I will forever be grateful. But the one thing I am most grateful for, is your trust and love. I love you, Isabella Swan, more than anything else in the world, and I would give up all that I have just to be with you. Will you make me the happiest man alive by becoming my wife?"

Tears were streaming down my face as I nodded and choked out a 'Yes!'

He smiled brilliantly at me and slid the ring onto my hand. It was a beautiful square-cut diamond ring, with lots of smaller diamonds around the circle of metal. It fit perfectly on my finger. Edward kissed me with undisguised joy, and kept on saying 'I love you' over and over again.

When he finally pulled back, I said, "I don't think you could find a single woman on this planet whose as lucky as I am to have such a wonderful fiance."

"I doubt that," he said, smiling at me as his arms circled my waist.

"Is this what you were doing all day yesterday?"

"Partly, yes."

"What was the other part?" I asked, curiously.

"You'll find out later. I was just getting our contingency plan ready."

I nodded, and decided I would ask him about it later, not wanting to spoil our moment. It was then that I realized something. "Oh my God, what are we gonna tell my dad?"

"We'll think of something, when the time comes. Right now, the only person that matters to me is you, but as much as I want to stay here with you, it's time for my speech."

I nodded and kissed him lightly. We went back to the hall were a hyper Alice was jumping up and down in excitement. "Congratulations!" she screamed as soon as we entered.

"Hush, Alice!" I said, returning her hug. "Don't tell anyone yet. I don't want to draw away attention from Rosalie. She's the star of this party."

Alice nodded understandingly, and whispered theatrically, "Don't worry. Your secret's safe with me. And oh, before I forget, welcome to the family."

She winked and left to join Jasper. Edward and I followed them and he gave his best man speech. Everyone in the hall was laughing by the end at Emmet's antics and the compromising position he and Rose had been caught in by a cop. The newlyweds were off for their honeymoon a little after 10 o'clock, and Edward, Alice, Jasper and I bade them and the guests goodbye, heading back home.

"So, Bella, when's the wedding?" Jasper asked.

"We haven't really sorted out the details yet," I replied, leaning against Edward on the sofa in the lounge. The dress I was in was getting uncomfortable but I didn't have the strength to go and change, so I just sat with Edward and talked, even after Alice and Jasper left. We decided that we wanted a summer wedding, maybe on a beach with only a few people there. We didn't want to wait much though, so we thought we'd have it this summer. I was all jittery from the idea of becoming a Mrs so soon, but I quelled the butterflies for now. I knew what I wanted, and that was Edward, so I was willing to get married a little earlier than I planned. After all, why wait when you had Mr Right?

A/N: REVIEWW!


	12. Chapter 12

A/N: I am sooooo sorry for the late update people…I know you all probably think I've abandoned the story by now but that's not the case. Moving to a whole other country after a 14 hour flight wasn't easy, and now that the jet lag has worn off, I've been able to write again. This is going to be he last chapter but there will be an epilogue. Enjoy and reviewww!

Chapter 12:

JPOV:

It was after midnight when I reached Zurich. The weather was chilly, but the fireplace in my hotel room kept me warm. I was told that Rosalie Cullen was getting married today, so the Cullens would be having an exceptionally fine day. It was my job however to make the happy day into one of agonizing pain for everyone involved. Except Bella, of course. She couldn't be hurt.

Everything I was doing now was to protect her from that vile monster she called her 'life-saver.' She didn't know that Edward Cullen didn't do anything that didn't benefit him in some way. I vowed to show her what he really is, and maybe then she'd decide I was better for her than him. He was a malignant parasite, and although I didn't know for sure whether they were together, I had a feeling that they were. It was killing me, knowing that she was in the hands of someone so dangerous, and I had promised Charlie I would bring her back safe and sound. No harm would come to her on my watch.

Third person POV:

Everyone knows that life is hard, and most people agree that it is not fair either. The purpose of justice is to assert rules, and to ingrain those rules in the psyche of the people, several examples are passed on. Stories about enforcers of the law are commonly told with them portrayed as heroes. Newspapers, TV-channels, and websites broadcast their heroism and selflessness. Occasionally, you might hear about a crooked cop here and there; the one past his prime with seven children and a mortgage payment, the one who had seen so much death on the job that it had made his own sense of right and wrong waver and maybe even the nerdy one who was scorned by everyone and was determined to make his life 'better' somehow. These stories are often told with caution, and always have brutal endings.

If Jacob Black had known what the outcome of the nefarious purpose of his vigilante justice deliverance system would be, he would have doubted his plan and maybe even aborted it. Unfortunately for him, he wasn't a psychic, nor was he a mind-reader, so he continued that night through the cold streets of Zurich, and made his way to the hotel. Pretending to be a guest for the wedding whose flight had been delayed, he asked the receptionist the whereabouts of his target. When he was told that the bride's family had gone back, he took a cab to the address the receptionist had given him.

The house (if it could be called a house) was a modern interpretation of the Palace of Versailles in France. The architecture was strongly reminiscent of the lavish establishment but had a charm and homely feeling other structures of its kind lacked. It was a place you could imagine spending a relaxing summer in, with afternoon tea in the landscaped garden and children running around, playing hide-and-seek.

Security that night was lax, since the family had spent the better part of the day at the hotel and needed the men there. Edward had sent most of them home for a rare night off and they were all exceedingly grateful for the rare respite from their duties.

Jacob took out the guard at the gate with a sleeping gas spray and proceeded into the house via the back door. The lock gave way under the pick and he entered the kitchen silently. The whole place was dark, and he took out the small flashlight to be able to navigate his way around the house. He didn't know which room was Edward Cullen's so he knew he had to be careful not to go in someone else's room instead.

He walked to the first room downstairs, and stood in front of it for some time, listening for any sounds that might inform him about the identity of the occupant. All he heard was silence. He took out his gun and opened the door slowly. The figure standing in front of him had his back to Jacob, but judging by the shade of his hair, he knew who it was. Edward turned around and his eyes widened in shock. He only had a tumbler in his hand; no gun or any other weapon of any kind.

The sneer that formed on his face was one that Jacob was familiar with, but Bella had hardly seen.

"Agent Black! What brings you to my home at this time of night? And without invitation, too. Or did the court happen to provide you with one?"

"I'm not here as Agent Black, Cullen, I'm here as Bella's friend. The friend who's trying to protect Bella from the likes of you. And as for the warrant, I don't need one."

Edward's lips turned at the corners to form a cold smile. "I think your misguided attempt at trying to 'protect' Bella is of no need, Black," he said, spitting the name out as if it were an expletive. "She's safer here than she is with any of your people. At least I wasn't the one who let her get kidnapped." Edward didn't include the part where he had, in fact, let Bella get kidnapped. Those were the singular worst hours of his life, and after all, Jacob had been told that Latoya was the one who kidnapped Bella in the first place, not Edward.

"Cut the crap, Cullen, and tell me where Bella is," Jacob said, raising the gun and pointing it at Edward's head.

"She's safe somewhere that you won't be able to get to," he replied, casually leaning against the console and sipping his single malt. "So I suggest you leave, or I could have you escorted out."

"I'm not going anywhere until you tell me where Bella is." As soon as he said this, the object of all his efforts came out from the bathroom, and stood there in shock as she saw how much the scene had changed since she had gone for a shower a few minutes ago.

"Jacob? What are you doing here? And why are you pointing a gun at Edward?" she asked, confused.

Jacob's eyes went wide as he noticed her outfit, and he started shaking his head. "Please tell me you are not having an actual relationship with this common criminal Bella."

"How dare you?" Bella shouted, offended. "You have no right to come in here and say those things about Edward. I'll have you know he's a perfect gentleman."

Jacob was getting angrier by the second. His assumption had turned out to be truer than he wanted it to be, and his body was struggling to contain the rage that was building up inside him, but it was becoming impossible. "I can't believe you're doing this. Have you lost your mind Bella?" Bella raised her hands in frustration and the glittering stone on her finger caught Jacob's eye. "No!" he gasped. "You're effing engaged to him?"

"So what if I am? What is it to you, Jacob?" she replied, raising her chin in defiance.

"You chose him and not me, Bella," he replied, his voice smooth. "Now watch him die." The sound was muted as the bullet flew towards Edward with incredible momentum. Bella's body reacted as if by some impulse; muscle contraction before conscious brain function, and she pushed Edward out of the way while putting herself in his place. The bullet pierced her flesh and lodged itself in the right side of her abdomen.

Edward stood there, paralyzed by the horror of what had just happened. His gaze landed on Jacob who had a similar expression on his face. The only difference was that the latter's was consumed by guilt as well.

Edward reached out for Bella and took out his cell phone quickly and called the doctor he knew he could trust with legally sensitive matters such as these. He didn't pay any attention to Jacob as he fled. He knew that if he needed to find the agent, he wouldn't have any trouble. They saying 'Revenge is a dish best served cold' came to mind.

"Edward, I'm fine," Bella said, trying to calm down her frantic fiancé. Edward looked back at her with a shocked expression on his face.

"You just got shot, Bella. What were you thinking jumping in front of me like that?"

Bella shrugged her shoulders with an exaggerated air of nonchalance. "Instinct took over."

Edward groaned in frustration and picked Bella up in his arms. He carried her to the car, passing Jasper and Alice on his way. They took one look at Bella and jumped into their own car to follow Edward. As they made their way to the hospital, only one thought circulated in Edward's head; If Bella dies, I'm not going to be able to live much longer. He knew that the thread of their lives were intertwined, and neither could live without the other, so he made his decision. If Bella died, he was going to give himself up to the FBI and confess to the sins that weren't his doing.

A/N: Short, i know:P reviewwww


	13. AN

Hello everyone! I'm so soooooo sorry that I haven't updated in so long! I've received your emails and reviews asking whether I am abandoning the story or not. 

The answer is 'no'.

I will upload the next and last chapter in mid December. Unfortunately, I started university in September and life's been a rollercoaster up until now. My finals will be over soon and I'll finally have time to write up the next chapter….

So hang in thereJ

CaffeineAddict90


	14. Chapter 14

A/N: First of all, my extreme heartfelt apologies to all my readers who have had to wait eons for this chapter. There is no one to blame except for my extreme lack of multitasking skills. A special apology to hola23: I didn't mean to give you false hope, but I was too busy in December as well and I didn't wanna write a half-ass chapter that would disappoint you all. So here is a chapter that will hopefully satisfy everyone and come up to your expectations.

Disclaimer: couldn't own it even if I tried!

EPOV:

It was hell. Plain, and simple hell. The doctors said the bullet had grazed part of her liver, and that even if the surgery was successful, they'd have to keep her in the Intensive Care Unit for quite some time after.

My imagination was particularly active today, and I could see everything as it could (or would) happen. Bella's cold, still, lifeless body being lowered into the earth. A varnished oak coffin with platinum handles (only the best for my Bella). Me standing there, surrounded by my family yet never having felt so alone in my existence.

I could see it all playing out. After the funeral was done, I would first hunt down and kill Black, and while carrying my gun, I would go over to the FBI department. I wouldn't clearly confess of course, I would just make it so they found exactly what they were looking for; Black's corpse in an almost-easy-to-find place. From there it would be the simple case of courts, trials, and eventually, prison.

With my connections, I could probably be out of there the next day, but why would I want to? Why would I want to continue a life without Bella? I knew my family would object, but they didn't have to know anything until it was done.

I was brought out of my morbid thoughts by the appearance of a scrub-clad surgeon. I walked swiftly to him, but before I could say anything, his expression caused the words to get caught in my throat. I'd seen that expression before, it was the same one that people wore when they came to express their condolences when my parents died, and it scared the shit out of me.

"Mr Cullen," the doctor said, talking in a sombre, firm tone. "We've removed the bullet surgically, but there was a lot of bleeding. She went under for a good few minutes, so I can't say with any certainty whether the blood loss will affect her mental functioning or not."

"What are you saying?" I asked, flatly. "Are you saying that she might have amnesia or that she might have personality changes?"

"It could most likely be amnesia," he said, surprised by the fact that I actually knew about the various possibilities in such cases. "If you would like, you can go see her. She's in room 408."

I didn't even thank him and ran past to see my Bella. As I walked through the corridors, I thought about what the doctor had said. What if she didn't know me…what if she forgot that I even existed? It would be ironic, wouldn't it, if the reason for my existence forgot that I even existed? I smiled bitterly, and the phrase 'You reap what you sow' came to mind. Considering all the bad things I'd done, it would seem fitting that the person I loved the most would lose all the wonderful memories we shared.

I opened the door to her room and went in. There she was, white as a sheet, with tubes and needles all around her. The beeping of the heart monitor and the slight movement of her chest were the only proof that she was alive. Barely.

I sat down on an uncomfortable plastic chair next to her bed and stared at her, praying for the first time in my life.

BPOV:

I felt like I was swimming through treacle, or maple syrup. Funny that I was making analogies while I knew I was dying. It felt like years ago that I was standing with Edward in his room. The good thing was, I couldn't feel any pain; but that also meant that I was more on the 'dead' than 'alive' side.

Suddenly, I heard Edward's voice.

"Bella…please wake up. I need you. _I can't live in a world where you don't exist. _And please, please, don't have amnesia!_"_

His words at my heart. I knew I had to wake up. I had to embrace the pain instead of fighting it. I tried to move, an arm, a finger, anything.

After what felt like hours, I managed to move my right index finger, and then I clenched and unclenched my entire hand.

I heard a squeaky rustling beside me, like someone moving around in a faux leather chair.

"Bella!", I heard Edward's voice call out. "Doctor! Nurse! She just moved! Get in here quick!"

His desperate pleas were answered by what sounded like several pairs of feet shuffling into the room.

I struggled to wake up, forcing my eyes open and letting the bright light enter my pupils. I could hear the frantic beeping of the heart monitor, and I was choking on the tube in my throat. The doctor quickly removed it while the nurses held me still.

I saw Edward's frantic gaze and the doctor's clinical one. Even in such a position, I couldn't help but tease Edward a little. I had overheard some of the nurses talking about how amnesia was a possibility in my case, and I decided to pull Edward's leg a little.

"Where am I?" I asked, my voice scratchy and my throat dry. The nurse handed me a glass of water that I chugged down gratefully.

"You're in a hospital, Bella," Edward answered while the doctor continued to check my vitals. "Do you remember what happened?"

I pasted a confused look on my face. "Who are you? Are you the guy from Sesame Street with a cape?"

The look of horror on Edward's face was priceless. The fact that I compared him to Count von Count made him think I'd lost my marbles.

Before he could get any more worked up, I burst into hysterical laughter. Maybe it was the painkillers, but before long I had tears running down my face and couldn't stop the giggles.

"My God, Edward! The expression on your face was priceless there!" I choked out.

He gave me an exasperated but relieved look. He ran a hand through his hair and whispered in my ear, "Do you enjoy teasing my affections like that Miss. Swan?"

His velvety voice sent shivers up my spine, and by the look in his eyes, he knew how it effected me. I got over his attempt at dazzling me and whispered back, "Only because you're so gullible, Mr. Cullen."

_Hah, _I thought_, now whose the dazzled one!_

The doctor clearing his throat reminded us that we were still in a room full of people, and we tore our eyes away from each other and looked at the doctor apologetically.

"I can tell that you both want some time alone, but before that, I need to ask you to answer some questions for me Miss. Swan."

I swallowed hard. I thought Edward would have brought me to a hospital where no one would ask us questions about the shooting.

"Can you tell me what day it is?" he asked, looking up briefly from his chart.

"Uhm, Tuesday, I think."

"And your full name?"

"Isabella Marie Swan."

"And the circumstances under which you were shot?"

I swallowed convulsively. Maybe Edward thought that since it was Jacob who shot me, there was no need for discretion. But despite what Jacob did, I couldn't condemn my best friend.

"Edward and I were having a picnic near our house in the woods. Unfortunately some huntsmen had decided that tonight was a good day for hunting, and probably mistook me for a deer. Or maybe they just had bad aim, I don't know," I said, putting on the same innocent-as-an-angel look I gave Charlie when he caught me eating cookies in the kitchen past my bedtime. Usually, I got away with the explanation that I had a nightmare and was looking for him and mom but I was so sleepy I came to the kitchen instead of their bedroom.

Fortunately for me, the doctor seemed just as gullible as Charlie. "Well, Miss. Swan, I think you're good for now. We'll change the dressing on that tomorrow and you'll be good to go. We'll just keep you in here for observation until tomorrow afternoon."

I nodded and thanked him. He left the room along with the nurses. I glanced over at Edward who was slouched in the chair beside me.

"You think you can spring me out of here before tomorrow and make a run for it?" I asked.

"No way Swan," he replied. "And why do you wanna make a run for it? It's not like the doctor is gonna chase after us."

I smiled at him. "I think sleep depravation has addled your senses my dear Mr Cullen. It was obviously my dad who sent Jacob after us, which means it's a good time to break out your contingency plan. The bureau isn't going to let us continue with the old plan."

Edward took out a cell phone from his pocket and dialled up a number. "Alice, get here with Jasper pronto. And there's a bag in my room, bring that as well."

He snapped the phone shut and gave me a piercing look. "Bella, for this plan to work, you have to do something for me."

He continued without waiting for any response from me, "We're going to have to stage our own death. We're going to take two corpses from the morgue downstairs and incinerate them in my car. We'll leave our Id's there so they can identify us. But I need you to call your dad and pretend as if we're in the car and we're about to crash. As soon as Alice gets here, we'll do it."

I nodded, trying to transform my facial expression into an accepting one. I knew what this would mean to Charlie; his daughter dead, just like his wife. He'd be heartbroken. Now that I had a better understanding of my dad, I could say that. This would destroy him.

"Bella? What's wrong?" Edward asked, worried by my stony silence.

"Nothing," I whispered, and tried to get out of bed. He helped me stand up and took me in his arms.

"I'm sorry for making you go through this, love," he said, his voice strained. "You can still back out."

I looked at him in astonishment. "How can you even say that? After everything we've been through Edward?"

"Sorry, hon," he smiled at me, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. "I just wanted to make sure you really wanted to give up everything for me."

"I'm not doing this for _you, _I'm doing it for _us. _And anyway, you can't _make_ me do anything. I'm an independent-minded woman!" I raised my chin at him in defiance, while he snickered silently at my rebuttal.

I quickly went into the bathroom to change into a decent pair of Gucci jeans and a dark blue silk blouse that Alice had designed specifically for me. I didn't even look in the mirror and ran out to Edward. Alice and Jasper were already there with a black backpack.

"Let's get out of here," Edward said, grabbing my arm gently and escorting us out of the hospital. On the way, he explained the plan to me. Luckily, the doctors and nurses was busy today with lots of emergencies and were short staffed. No one noticed us slip out and we hurried to the car. There were already two black bags with bodies in Edward's Mercedes, courtesy of Jasper. Edward and Jasper pushed the car out of the parking lot and onto the street. Alice gave me my cell and got into the driver's side of what I assumed was Jasper's car. I got into the passenger side and dialled my dad. He picked up on the second ring.

"Hey dad," I said, not waiting for him to say anything. "I just wanted to tell you what a shitty thing you did by sending Jacob over. Edward and I don't trust you anymore so we're leaving."

"Bella! Honey please, don't do this! I'm sorry, I didn't send Jacob. He came by himself."

"Don't lie dad. I'm your daughter, and I know you didn't mean to hurt me." I softened my tone a bit, knowing that this was going to be my last conversation with my dad. "And I love you dad. Despite everything that happened, I love you. And for what its worth, you were a great father to me, and a great husband to mom."

"Bella, please sweetheart, just come here and we'll talk. You can have whatever you want. I'll even clear all the charges against that fiancé of yours."

"Sorry dad, no can do. I'm…Shit! Edward look out!" I screamed into the phone and signalled to Alice. She swerved, making a high-pitched screeching sound, and I threw the phone out the window, making sure it hit the road hard enough to break. We braked near Edward and Jasper. They put the foot of one of the corpses on the gas pedal and let the beautiful car crash into a tree. Then they tossed a lighter into the car's open fuel tank and jumped in the car. Alice drove off quickly, and I looked behind us to see the car explode into a million bits and pieces.

I glanced back over at Edward and smiled. Alice stopped a little way over so I could sit in the back with Edward and Jasper could start driving. Once again we drove to a private airstrip, and quickly boarded a small jet. Once we were safely in the air and there was no danger of any feds tailing us, I relaxed in Edward's arms and asked him what the plan was now.

"Do you like Brazil, Bella?" he asked, with a mischievous twinkle in his eyes.

"As good as any country that I've never been to, I suppose," I replied, smiling at him. I couldn't believe that we were finally going to be able to live together in peace, without the threat of the FBI on our heads.

"We're going to a small island that my father bought for my mother they died. It's been legally purchased, but I eliminated all records of its existence. No one knows it exists except for a few tribal people who work there as servants, and of course, the lawyer that arranged all the paperwork for my dad in the first place. He won't be a problem because he was killed by Latoya when he was trying to get information about my parents whereabouts."

I nodded slowly. "So we're going to live on an island in Brazil that's all yours? No hiding or concealing our identities?" I asked, completely overwhelmed by the sudden and abrupt change in our lives.

"Not my island, our island. And of course, Alice's as well."

I laughed at him and my eyes fell on my engagement ring. "What about our wedding?"

"I think we can leave the planning to Alice. A summer wedding on the beach seems ideal," he said with a wink.

Alice looked up from the magazine she was reading and said, "I think we should have a joint wedding. Rosalie and Emmet can come. It'll just be the six of us and the priest."

I liked the idea of a small wedding, especially considering Edward and I were supposed to be dead.

I rested my head on Edward's shoulder and hugged him around the waist. I was ready for our new life to begin, and I couldn't wait for the day when I could call myself "Mrs. Isabella Cullen."

A/N: hope you guys liked itJ


	15. epilogue

Epilogue:

The sound of waves splashing hit my ears as I woke up. I stretched her arms out and smiled. Last night had been the best night of my life. I still had to give Edward the news so I jumped out of bed, and quickly got into the shower. I knew Edward would be back from his morning run in a few minutes.

I dressed in a red figure hugging Herve Leger dress and blow dried my hair. I went to the kitchen and whipped up waffles, pancakes, and squeezed out some orange juice. I knew Edward liked to have eggs as well in the morning but I couldn't stand the smell right now.

I heard the door bang open and Edward walked in, out of breath but smiling widely. "Wow…If I knew I'd be coming home to this vision in red, I would have finished up my run earlier," he said, kissing me sweetly.

"Eww, Edward!" I exclaimed. "You're all sweaty. Go take a quick shower while I finish making the chocolate sauce". He mock-saluted me and left to take a shower. I knew Alice and Jasper were coming over from Rio today, and I wanted to cook a celebratory dinner for them. We hadn't seen them since our joint wedding last month. We had an amazing wedding, with all the romance but none of the stress. It was amazing what eliminating guests from a wedding could do. We had absolutely nothing to worry about except seeing our respective beaus and saying 'I do' at the right moment. Rosalie and Emmet came, and brought a surprise guest with them. Seth Clearwater, Edward's tech guy knew about their arrangement, and was a welcome addition to the party with his sunny disposition and sweet nature.

I was snapped out of my thoughts and brought back to reality when Edward came back from his shower wearing a loose pair of jeans and a grey t-shirt. I loved the way his eyes stood out in his outfit, and couldn't believe I had ever thought they looked like cold, hard shards of ice.

He wrapped his arms around me in a ruse to get to the chocolate I was stirring in my beloved copper pan. "Edward, don't even think about trying that sauce before it's done."

He pouted at me and I grinned back while pouring the sauce over his plate of waffles. I sprinkled some strawberries and icing sugar on top and handed it to him. "So let me get this straight. The sauce wasn't done until u put strawberries and sugar on it?"

I smiled at him and gave him a look that said, "Duhhhh!"

He rolled his eyes but smiled and dug into his waffles.

"So Edward, I was thinking about something today. You know how we thought we were going to convert the third guestroom into a library?"

"Yeah…what about it?" he asked, swallowing another huge bite of waffle while there was still steam coming out of it.

"I was thinking maybe we could use it for a better purpose, like a nursery." I looked up to see his reaction. It was rather comical actually, and I wished I had a camera with me to capture the moment. His eyes were wide, and his mouth was open with the fork poised mid-way to his mouth. I waved a hand in front of his face and called out his name.

The fork clattered onto the plate and he stood up abruptly and came to stand beside me faster than I could imagine possible. "Bella, are you saying what I think you're saying?" he choked out.

I couldn't contain my excitement any longer. "Yes!" I squeaked out, and handed him the pregnancy test that I took last night. I took 7 other ones just to confirm it but I only kept the 1st one. He grinned at the two blue lines and lifted me up into the air.

"We're having a baby!" he screamed out. I laughed along with him as he twirled me around and hugged me to his chest. "I can't believe it! I'm gonna be a dad!"

I laughed at his reaction and said, "Yes you are! And I'm gonna be a mom! And oooh! Alice is going to be so excited too when she finds out."

"I don't care about how excited Alice is gonna be! I'm gonna be a dad! Wooohooo!" he kissed me tenderly and we began making plans for the baby. A doctor would have to be called in of course, and we needed to get baby stuff. Alice and Jasper came at around dusk, along with Rosalie and Emmet. We told them the good news and they were excited as anything for us.

* * *

That night, as I lay in Edward's arms, I started thinking about how we had gone from a captor and hostage to a happily married couple with a baby on the way. I smiled at the way life worked sometimes. I thought about Charlie, and how hopefully in a few years I could talk to him and tell him I was still alive…let him get to know his grandchildren. There were rumours going around that he was retiring soon, and I was happy about that.

Edward and I had the baby in a hospital in Rio. It was a girl, and we named her Natasha. She was beautiful and had Edward's eyes and my hair. We knew he was going to be a beauty and Edward would have to fend off the boys by threatening them with his old Glock.

Alice and Jasper had three kids; two girls and a boy. They lived in Rio and came to visit us every weekend.

Emmet and Rosalie finally had a son after two painful miscarriages and many fertility treatments. They used to live in Hawaii but moved to stay with us on Isle Esme.

* * *

A/N: hope it was all worth the wait guys. I will put up a poll for the next story idea.


	16. poll

Hey there everyone! I have put up a poll on my profile with new story ideas! Lemme know what you think!

Peace out!

Caffeineaddict90


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